Red Boots and the Sleepy Yard
The sky in the yard had turned purple and orange. Wren stood in the grass with her red ball under her arm. She was not one bit sleepy. "More play," she said, and she stamped her little feet.
Dog yawned a huge yawn, so wide that his ears wiggled. Wren pointed at him and laughed. "Dog sleepy!" Dog flopped onto the grass as if the yawn had knocked him over.
Mama came out onto the porch with her sneakers on. She loved games more than anyone. "Is it a race, Wren?" she called. "First one to the big tree wins!" Wren squealed and ran, and Mama ran in big, silly, slow steps beside her.
Wren touched the big tree first. "I win!" she shouted. Mama fell on the grass as if she were very, very tired. "You are too fast for me," she said. Then she peeked out of one eye and winked.
Wren looked at the low bumpy branch of the big tree. Then she looked at the red ball rolling in the grass. Both looked like fun. Her toes wiggled, and she wanted to do one more thing before bed.
Wren kicked the red ball. It rolled across the yard and bonked softly into Dog's bottom. Dog jumped up and chased it, nose first, and pushed it back with his whole face. Wren giggled so hard she sat down.
Mama dribbled the ball with her feet like a champion. "And she scores!" she cried, as the ball rolled through the back porch door. Wren clapped. A star popped out above them, and Wren yawned a tiny yawn.
The yard grew dim and the porch lamp glowed yellow. Wren's eyes felt heavy, like warm pebbles. Dog leaned against her legs. Mama said, "The path home is calling us." Wren rubbed her eyes and nodded.
They went inside to the hallway, where the rug was soft under Wren's toes. Dog's nails went tick on the floor. Through the round window the sky was nearly black, and the stars looked like tiny lamps.
At the door of her bedroom, Wren stopped. The moon night-light glowed and the red blanket looked very soft. She hugged the red ball one more time. Then she thought hard about how she would get to her bed.
Wren put one finger to her lips. "Shhh," she whispered, and she tiptoed with Dog. Mama tiptoed too, with her knees lifted very high, like a cartoon sneaky robber. They crept all the way into the bedroom.
Wren climbed up into bed, which was her favorite kind of climbing. Dog curled at her feet. Mama tucked the red blanket under her chin. Then Dog began to snore, a funny whistly snore, and Mama whispered, "That is the loudest tiptoeing dog ever."
Wren's eyes closed, and she smiled a sleepy smile. Mama kissed her forehead. Just then Dog's snore turned into a squeaky little toot. Wren's eyes popped open, and she and Mama burst into the quietest giggles in the whole world.
