What koala bears do.

Kes has this thing where she “becomes” whatever she’s wearing. If she’s wearing a Supergirl shirt, then she’s Supergirl. If she’s wearing Incredibles pajamas, then she’s Dash. (If you are curious as to where Kes goes when Supergirl or Dash or Catboy is around, well, apparently Kes goes to the Moon.)

Tonight, Kes was wearing her koala pajamas.

Kye’s been really grumpy off and on for about a week now. I *think* she’s teething, but it’s hard to say for sure. She’ll just have bouts of crying and clinginess and waking up for no discernible reason.

Tonight, I was trying to help Kes fall asleep (which is a new routine — I no longer lay down with her in bed, but instead I sit beside her bed and read my own book to myself while she reads or “writes in her journal” until she’s finally sleepy enough for me to turn off the lamp and rub her back and tell her a story that will put her to sleep.) Kye woke up, and needed attention, and was not very good about going back to sleep. It took several times of me returning to her bedroom, singing her songs, and laying her down for her to finally quiet down.

Kes doesn’t like to be in her bedroom alone at night. It scares her. That’s why bedtime is still a bit of chore for all of us. But tonight, when I was calming Kye down, she would lay calmly in bed, and “read” or “write in her journal,” and when I’d come back, she was still in bed, seemingly unworried about anything, and just patiently waiting for my return.

“I’m so very proud of you being such a big girl tonight,” I told her, “staying in your bedroom all by yourself.”

“Well,” she said, and sighed pointedly. “That’s what koala bears do.”