“Hi Uncle Tibbs, can you read me a bedtime story?” I asked.
“Sure, Ajdin,” he replied.
I handed him the book Little Bear’s Visit.
“Uncle Tibbs,” I interrupted him, “can you try reading it with more emotion? It sounds a little boring.”
“Oh, uh, sure. I’ll try,” he said.
“Ahem… He liked to put on Grandfather’s big hat and say, ‘LOOK AT ME!‘”
“And he liked grandmother’s cooking VERY MUCH!”
“That was better, Uncle Tibbs,” I said. “But even more enthusiasm! And maybe use some gestures too!”
“Bedtime story standards are high these days, huh?” he said. “Okay, I’ll give it another go.”
He continued reading.
“He had some BREAD and JAM, CAKE and COOKIES, MILK and HONEY, and an APPLE – MMM YUM!“
“Little Bear LAUGHED – HAHAHA – and CLAPPED his PAWS!”
He was really getting into it now.
“Add sound effects!” I said. “Costumes! Props!”
“And something inside the cave went *BUMP*. What was that? BUMP! BOO! SWOOSH! And then he was so scared that he jumped right out of his shoes and began to run. PIT-PAT PIT-PAT PIT-PAT. What was that? Something was following him! OH MY!”
“…and they lived happily ever after. THE END,” he finished. “So how’d I do, Ajdin? Ajdin?”
“ZZZZZZ…”
Good night everyone! Sweet dreams!