Late night stroll

Ella and I had a nice visit with Grammie Carole and Granddaddy Pete. She took a long morning nap from 9 to 11 and then we ran a few errands. At Grammie's house Ella was cheerful, sitting up and playing with her toys and smiling at her great-grandparents. After about an hour she was getting tired again, she had been up for 3 hours. So we got in the car and she was asleep before we even started to back down the driveway.

At home she stayed asleep for another 2 hours. This is not like her. We are usually lucky if she sleeps for an hour. I think that is maybe why she would not go to sleep tonight. I left to go to the grocery store to get some things for dinner and buy more motrin for poor Ella's teeth.
No luck at Walmart so I went to Kroger. While I was at Kroger James called and I can hear Ella crying in the background. It was 8:40 by this time and Ella should have been in bed asleep. When I got home just a few minutes later I tried my hand at it.
She layed down and all she wanted to do was play. She would grab my hands and grab for my mouth so I would kiss her hands. Then she was shaking her head at me and waiting for me to do it back at her. I entertained her for a few minutes and then told her it was bedtime. As soon as I left the room she started to cry. So I went back in, picked her up and read her a story, then I read a new story while she was in her bed and I was in the rocking chair. That didn't work either. I gave in and brought her back out in the family room with us. She was just fine playing and everything and then all of a sudden she started crying again. She would not settle so I thought okay it is time for a walk!
It was just about dark. A light breeze was blowing, lightning bugs were everywhere, it was quiet and peaceful. As we strolled down the street I sang lullabyes to Ella. I have gotten pretty good at making them up, she doesn't seem to mind. By half way down the street she was fading fast. I continued to sing and enjoy being with her in the quiet. I sang some winnie the pooh and somewhere over the rainbow and she drifted to sleep. It is a moment I will have forever. The beauty of the dusk, the lightning bugs and the precious little girl asleep in the stroller.