Barnaby Bear was a very silly bear. Not silly-bad, just…silly! And bedtime was *extra* silly for Barnaby. It didn’t start with a bath, oh no. It started with wearing his pajamas…on his head!
Mama Bear would chuckle. “Barnaby, dear, pajamas go on your body!” But Barnaby would wiggle and giggle. “But it’s much more fun on my head, Mama! It makes me a pajama-hat bear!” He’d then try to brush his teeth with his toes. Which, as you can imagine, didn’t work very well.
Next came story time. But Barnaby didn’t want to hear about brave knights or clever foxes. He wanted to hear about…wobbly jelly! “Tell me about the jelly, Mama! The jiggly, wiggly, wobbly jelly!” And Mama Bear would, making silly jelly voices and wobbly hand motions.
Then, Barnaby would try to read the story *to* Mama Bear, but he’d make up all the words. “Once upon a time, there was a purple elephant who loved to eat…socks!” Mama Bear would try not to laugh, but it was very hard.
Finally, it was time for Barnaby to snuggle into bed. But he insisted on sleeping upside down! “It’s much comfier this way, Mama!” he’d say, dangling his paws in the air.
Mama Bear would gently turn him right-side up. “Silly Barnaby,” she’d say, tucking him in. “You’re a very silly bear, and I love you very much.”
Barnaby yawned a big, sleepy yawn. “I know, Mama. I love being silly. But…sometimes, it’s nice to just be a sleepy bear.” He closed his eyes, a tiny smile on his face. Even silly bears need their rest.
And as Barnaby drifted off to sleep, Mama Bear whispered, “Sweet dreams, my little pajama-hat, toe-brushing, jelly-loving bear.” Because even the silliest bedtime routines can be the sweetest of all.