I had the honor of tucking in my niece tonight. I cherish these times together because I love to snuggle up and squish into a tiny daybed with a ginormous 5-yr-old who thinks that putting both legs over yours and laying partially on top of you is comfortable... and normal. I also cherish them because Evaley and I have epic conversations while she does her best NOT to sleep.
Tonight's awesome bedtime conversation:
"Aunt Ashley, can I ask you a question?"
Of course, Ev.
"Will a bright blue-green light come and hit the earth?"
What?
"Will a bright blue-green light come and hit the earth?"
Where did you see something like that?
"On the Weather Channel."
Huh. Well, I don't know what you were watching, but maybe it was showing you the ozone layer.
"What's the ozone layer?"
Okay, here is the earth. *Holding up my left fist.* And this is the ozone layer. *Drawing a circle around my fist.* It protects us from the sun's really, really hot temperatures and dangerous waves that hurt our skin. So, the ozone layer is good for us and for the earth.
...
"Aunt Ashley, can I ask you a question?"
Yes.
"What's a meteor shower?"
Well, a meteor is kind of like a giant rock that's floating around in space. And sometimes it comes close to the earth, and goes through the ozone layer. When it goes through the ozone layer, it catches on fire, sort of, maybe because of the oxygen in the system (because there isn't any oxygen in space and you can't have fire without oxygen), and in the sky it looks like a shooting star. But it's really a meteor passing through the ozone layer. And a meteor shower is lots of meteors going through the ozone layer. At least, I think that's what it is.
"Can a meteor hit the earth?"
Yes, but we have huge telescopes that let us see really far into space so we know if a meteor is coming that's going to hit earth and can make sure it doesn't.
"Like with the dinosaurs? They got hit by a meteor and died."
Something like that.
"Can you tell me a story about the meteor that hit the earth and killed the dinosaurs?"
Uh... I don't really know that story since I wasn't alive back then.
"Can you tell me a story about a meteor at all?"
Well, I know that there's a lake called Crater Lake, and it's a big dent in the earth, called a crater, where a meteor hit a long, long time ago. And now it filled with water and is a lake. Is that a story?
"No."
...
"Aunt Ashley, can you tell me about Pluto? The planet? Not the dog."
Well, I don't know much about Pluto. Basically, there are a lot of planets in our solar system... nope, okay... imagine that your room is outer space. Well, your bed is what we would call a galaxy, and it has planets and moons and stuff like that- those are all called a solar system; your dresser might be a galaxy, too, and your bookshelf, etc. So, inside our galaxy, which is called the Milky Way-
"Like the milk we drink?"
Yes. So, inside the Milky Way are planets- Earth is one, and the moon, and Saturn, and Neptune... They all circle around the sun. The one that's furthest away from the sun is Pluto, and I think it's the smallest too.
"Oh."
But I don't think that Pluto is considered a planet anymore. I'm not sure.
"Oh."
...
"Aunt Ashley, how do I know that you're telling me the truth?"
Well, I don't lie to you, do I? You can trust me.
"I decided I don't trust people anymore. I only trust God."
Oh. Well, I guess that's okay. But God puts important people in your life that you can trust.
"No. I only trust people who have died."
Huh. And then rose again?
"Yes. I only trust people that have died and rose again."
You've got me there. I've definitely only lived.
"That's what I thought."
...
"Aunt Ashley, can you pretend to put make-up on my face while I think of more questions?"
Of course, sweet girl.
