Little Debbie

Lily's bedtime routine consists of us reading a few books and making up a silly story, and then one of us cuddles up with her while she falls asleep. She never wants to sleep, and always asks for more stories. It gets kind of exhausting making up stories at the end of a long day, and always results in a "No more stories!" parental decree.

Last night, she was in a particularly demanding mood. I read the books, told a story, and she just would not give up.

Lily: "Mommy, tell me a story!"
Mommy: "No more stories, time for sleep."
Lily: "Mommy, I have one question, will you tell me a story?!"
Mommy: "No more stories, time for sleep."

Repeat this exchange about 20 times.

Finally, this:

Lily: "Mommy, I have one question . . . "
Mommy, very sternly: "Lillian, I told you no more stories. You'd better think about what your question is, and if it's 'Will you tell me a story' you'd better not ask it!"

Long pause.

Lily: "Mommy, my question is NOT 'Will you tell me a story!' My question is: if you HAD told me a story, what would you have said?"

We're doomed.