I got XX5 a book today; "Horton Hatches the Egg" on sale at Kohls. I Have a huge collection of Dr. Seuss and Seuss-like books for the kids. I have been wanting this one for a long time though. After dinner, (Baked Tilapia, roasted asparagus and rice) I sat and talked with Roser in the front room for a while. When he went to do some work on the computer, XX5 came in. She had chocolate ice cream all over her sweet little face. I sent her up to get jammies on and brush her teeth. I assumed she would wipe her face off when she saw how dirty it was. Silly me. When she came down and snuggled up next to me, ready for her story, I told her about her dirty face.

"I won't die if I go to bed with ice cream on my face," she said.

"Do you really want to take that chance?" I asked her.

She just shook her head and sighed, "Even if it was oil it wouldn't kill me." It is hard to argue with logic like that.

I picked up the book and began reading. XX13 came in, eating a bowl of ice cream.

"Oh, I want to hear this story," she said as she got comfortable on the couch across from XX5 and me. I continued to read.

"Can't you come over here? I can't see the pictures," she said. That was XX13, that couldn't see the pictures. XX13, as in, Girl, aged 13 years. Sighing, XX5 and I moved over to the larger couch. We started again. Right around the time we figured out Maizey the lazy bird wasn't coming back, XY11 shows up and squished in between XX5 and the arm of the couch.

We got about halfway through when XX5 asked if we could finish up in her room. She told me she had looked forward all day to snuggling up in her bed. The problem with going to read in XX5's bed was, XX5's has a single bed. There wasn't enough room for both the older kids, XX5 and me, and the book. We compromised by getting in my bed and finishing the book.

It was wonderful.

I was in bed with my three youngest kids, reading to them. I know there is a finite amount of these moments left. I thank God for every one.

By the way, even if XX5 was willing to risk it, I wasn't. I wiped her face off before bed.