Goodnight, Moon!

So every night we read the same book thousands of other households read before bed, Goodnight Moon. In case you are not one of those households, it's about a little bunny who tells everything goodnight before going to bed. A minor player in the book is the "quiet old lady whispering hush," who sits knitting in the rocking chair in the bunny's room. She is named and wished goodnight but doesn't get higher billing than any other object in the bunny's room. She's a mysterious figure who at first is not present and then appears. She says nothing but "hush" and doesn't tuck the bunny in. She just sits there, knitting, even after the lights go out. It makes you wonder, though, is she his mother? His grandmother?

I must admit that I didn't pay her much attention. I hardly noticed her. But Aidan noticed her and one night last week he pointed her out. He wanted to know about the "girl whispering hush." The next night when we started reading he frantically started flipping the pages to find her. I explained that she doesn't come in until later. He wanted to skip ahead. The next night we got the book out and he pointed out that on page 3 her rocking chair and knitting materials are there but she is absent. Where is she? He really needed to know! Since then when I ask him which book he wants to read, he says the "girl whispering hush."

I'm not sure what his fascination is with her. Maybe it's because he has such fear of sleeping. Recently I told him to close his eyes and go to sleep. He said he was scared. When I asked him what of he said, "something get me!" I assured him I'd be there to watch over him and if he needed us in the middle of the night, he could call for us and we'd come to him. And we do. Every time. So maybe he equates the "quiet old lady whispering hush" with someone watching over him. And maybe that's a very appealing concept!