Anyone who knows kids, has kids, or watched a movie about kids one time knows it’s hard to get kids to sleep–especially when they are someplace FUN.
Well, we are at my friend Maren’s alpaca ranch, and it is capital F Fun around here.
Thus, it took Wonder an hour to get to sleep tonight. That was with me, snuggling him in bed, wishing him brighter tomorrows.
When I crawled out of bed to do expense reports (#ParentingWithAJob), I saw a flicker outside the window.
A deer. Just beyond my reach.
I watched it eat apples off the tree for a minute, then I did that thing you’re not supposed to do–I walked back into his room, picked him up, and took him to see the deer.
His sleepy eyes shot open when I said the word.
You see, I saw one yesterday, but it was gone before he could really see it.
Now his sleepy eyes were bright, scanning the fence, finding the little baby.
And then, it’s mama.
For a moment longer, we stood by the window, looking for the daddy. Then, I carried him off to sleep.
In Chinese folklore, the Qilin is a chimerical creature, often depicted as part deer or giraffe and part dragon. They are often shown walking on clouds, as they are peaceful creatures, whom would never harm a blade of grass by stepping on it.
That is how those deer must have felt for him; slipping through his dreams and pulling him from his bed.
This image from JetHero13 seemed a perfect reference for tonight. This sketch of a Qilin is just on the edge of the clouds. May he bring you peaceful dreams.
Keep creating,
Kate