i hate grey rabbit

i don't think i've explained how particular elenora needs everything when she sleeps. here are the things she has decided she can't sleep without:

1) Her favorite Bubba, who has to sleep in her right arm.
2) Her "not-my-favorite" Bubba, who sleeps in her left arm.
3) Violet, who sleeps in her right hand.
4) Grey rabbit, who sleeps in her left hand.
5) A blanket, usually her quilt or the puffy blanket, with a knit blue blanket over the top.
6) Her binky in her mouth.
7) Brahams, a dog that winds up and plays Brahams lullaby.
8) The fan on high.
9) Someone yelling "sweet dreams" at the top of their lungs.

when she wakes in the middle of the night, all of these things have to be in place before she can allow herself to fall back asleep. if she can't find one of the million necessary stuffed animals or her binky, or if the blankets are not in the right configuration, she will start crying until someone comes and puts things right again.

at 3 am when i'm in a groggy fog, i have been known to reply to elenora's cries for grey rabbit with the phrase "i hate grey rabbit... she's stupid."

then i stumble back upstairs (yelling "sweet dreams" angrily as i shut her door) and mumble something to j. about "mother-of-the-year".

this past weekend while ella stayed at her mamaw's house, momby must have decided to tuck ella's feet in tightly under the blankets, because last night she woke up and demanded that her feet be tucked in tight. i just said "enough is enough, ella. i'm not coming down here to tuck your feet under every time they come untucked!"

you have to draw the line somewhere.