An Explosion of Happy

As I'm tucking my little pumpkin into bed, she is so full of the wiggles that I doubt she will go to sleep for a while. Tomorrow she gets to go on a field trip and she can't stop talking about it. I'm so tired that my yawns are getting more fierce by the minute - they make my jaw ache. We have to go through a ritual every night when I tuck her in: Cover up with the comforter, then the quilt made by Auntie Kim. Once the blankets are pulled up to her chin we have to arrange the 'lovey' blankets (she has three!). Two get rolled up and go on each side of her to box her in nice and cozy-like. The third gets tucked around head so all you can see is the front of her face. As I lean over to give her an Eskimo kiss and a squeezy hug, she shivers with excitement and says, "For some reason I feel an explosion of happy tonight!" My breath catches in my throat as I feel a sudden rush of emotion; overwhelming joy mixed with surprise. She has just turned 10 and her days of blurting out such pure feelings are numbered, something I know from raising 4 children already. Please God, let her keep this gift of unguarded emotion for a little while longer.