Hello friends and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
Bernice is already thinking about Valentine's Day and what she would like to do for her friend Bobby.
She talks to Papa Bear and they make a plan for after school.
But when Bernice gets home, her plans have changed.
Bernice wants to give Bobby a Valentine.
Good morning, Cookie, Bernice said, peeking out from under her blankets.
Did you have a good sleep?
I feel like I did.
I slept like a log.
Isn't that a funny thing to say?
Why would I want to sleep like a log?
Cookie came over to Bernice purring and gave her a headbutt.
Today is going to be a fun day at school, Cookie.
All my tests are over and the teachers won't want to start anything super new just yet.
I think we are going to spend time creating art because it's going to be Valentine's Day soon.
Will you be my Valentine's, Cookie?
I don't know what that means, but I think it means we give each other treats.
You can give me a chocolate cookie and I can give you some fishy crackers, Bernice said as she pet Cookie, which made Cookie purr even louder.
Bernice, are you awake yet?
Papa Bear said in his super deep voice from the kitchen.
Sometimes when he spoke, the house vibrated.
You don't want to rush breakfast.
I guess I better get started, Cookie.
It's going to be a fun day, Bernice said as she jumped out of bed.
After she washed, brushed her teeth, and got dressed, Bernice walked downstairs to the kitchen.
Good morning, little bear.
Did you sleep well?
Papa Bear asked as he had a drink of coffee.
I sure did, Papa.
I slept like a rock.
Or maybe a log.
I'm not sure which.
I used to tell your mama that you slept like an angel because you looked like a little angel when you were smaller.
That's silly.
What do I look like now, Papa?
Do I look like an angel?
Bernice asked as she sat at the table.
Hmm, maybe more like a stinky-toes princess.
Papa Bear joked.
Papa, Bernice said with a fake frown.
What's for breakfast?
I have some special porridge for you with some honey on top.
It should be just perfect to eat right now, Papa Bear said as he set her bowl on the table.
It's pretty yummy, Bernice said after taking a bite.
She blew on it first to make sure it wasn't hot.
Appa, can you help me today after school?
Sure, little bear.
What do you need help with?
Well, it's going to be Valentine's Day soon, and I thought I would make something for Bobby.
And I thought since he likes your cookies so much, we could bake him some together.
Like maybe heart-shaped ones or something like that, Bernice explained.
That's a good idea.
I'll make the dough before you come home, and you can help me bake them.
How does that sound?
Super great, Papa.
I bet they will be the best cookies yet.
Hi, Papa and Cookie.
I'm home, Bernice said as she came in through the front door of their small house.
Her legs were all covered in snow as she and Ethan decided to jump in a snowbank on the way home from the bus stop.
After stomping her feet and brushing off her legs, Bernice sat down to take off her stubborn snow boots.
You know where I am, little bear, Papa Bear said from the kitchen.
As she struggled to get them off, Cookie came running around the corner to greet her, purring.
Hi, Cookie.
Did you miss me today?
I missed you.
I saw you sitting in the window watching for me when I walked home.
Did you see Ethan and I jump in the snowbank?
It's super fun, but I guess you wouldn't like to be in a snowbank, would you?
Cookie purred and rubbed up against Bernice's arm.
After she hung up her jacket and put away her boots, Bernice went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.
I'm super thirsty, Papa, she said between gulps.
It's easy to get thirsty in winter.
We sometimes think we don't need to drink as much water in winter because it's cold out.
But we still need to drink, Papa Bear said as he prepared to help Bernice make cookies.
Do you want to tell me about your day as we make cookies?
Sitting down at the table, Bernice said, Yeah, I guess so.
But maybe we don't need to make cookies after all.
Why not, Little Bear?
You were excited about it this morning.
Well, at school today, when we talked about Valentine's Day and how everyone was going to make valentines to share,
Bobby said that he thought Valentine's Day was yucky and that he didn't like getting Valentine's or any of that mushy stuff.
So I guess I won't make any, Bernice said with a slightly disappointed voice.
I'm sorry to hear that, little bear.
Not everyone agrees with or celebrates these holidays in the same way.
If giving him something might make him feel uncomfortable, then we won't give him something.
We can make and eat them ourselves.
Or, I may have another idea.
Do you and Mama celebrate Valentine's Day?
Bernice asked.
Just a little bit.
I like giving Mama little gifts all the time, and she is the same.
But still, I try to get her a little something.
This time, I got her a couple of delicious heart-shaped chocolates.
She will love them after she goes for a run.
I bet they are super-duper delicious, Bernice said.
I hope so.
I think Valentine's Day is a day to tell people that you care about them with hugs, nice words and sweet treats.
It's fun to make other people happy, little bear, but...
We don't need a special day to do that.
We can do that anytime we like, Papa Bear said with a smile.
So it's not just all mushy, mushy stuff.
You can celebrate it any way you want, Little Bear.
I have an idea that I should have thought of this morning.
Why don't you make cookies to share with all your classmates, not just Bobby?
That way, You can show that you care about your classmates and celebrate Valentine's Day in a way everyone can enjoy.
I bet Bobby won't turn down cookies, especially if everyone is getting them.
Yeah, he loves your cookies, Papa.
I think it's a super great idea.
Can we make enough for everyone?
Bernice asked.
I made so much dough. that I am sure we will have more than enough cookies for everyone.
Why don't you wash your hands?
And after we make the cookies, you can finish telling me about your day.
I might have cookies in our cookie jar from last time we made some.
Okay, Papa.
Bernice and Papa Bear took a heart mold and together they filled four cookie sheets with cookies, put them in the oven and sat at the kitchen table to have their treat.
Wow, Papa, that's a lot of cookies.
I think that might be enough cookies for the whole school, Bernice said after taking a big drink of milk.
Ha ha, it is a lot of cookies.
It's much faster when we work together.
And more fun.
My teacher says that working together is better because Everyone has something special to offer.
That sounds about right, Papa Bear said.
So, what else happened today at school?
It was a pretty easy day, Papa.
The teachers didn't start anything super hard because I think they want to give us a rest after having so many tests.
In art class, we made some Valentine's Day decorations.
The teacher said we could make anything we wanted.
So Bobby and I painted, and Gertrude made a whole bunch of heart-shaped things.
I don't really know what they were, but they looked nice.
But Bobby almost got in trouble because he started to paint another poop emoji.
But instead, it turned out to be a dark red blobby heart.
It might not be his best work, but that's okay because he tried something new.
What did you paint?
Papa Bear asked.
I tried to paint an angel because you said I looked like an angel when I slept.
And one of the teachers said that that was a theme in Valentine's.
But it didn't turn out so well.
It looked more like a flying alien than an angel, Bernice said with a shrug.
I'm sure it looks beautiful, even if your painting didn't turn out quite like you planned.
Papa Bear said
Yeah.
I think it was still okay.
At lunchtime, Mika, a classmate, shared some of her lunch and I didn't really like it.
I gave her some of mine and she didn't really like it that much either.
We both just laughed because we have different tastes in food.
What did she bring for lunch that you didn't like?
You liked just about everything, Papa Bear asked.
It was tofu, I think.
She said that sometimes her mother put sauce on it and stuff, but today it was just plain.
She likes it.
No matter if it has sauce on it or not, but if I was going to eat it, it would have to have a whole lot of sauce.
Well, you both tried a new food.
You don't have to like everything, Papa Bear said.
Yeah, I think so too.
The rest of the day was kind of slow, Papa.
I think we have rested enough and we should start learning some hard stuff again, especially in science.
I can't wait to learn more science.
Oh yeah, and read more stories in English and math too, Bernice said as she finished her milk.
Haha, yes, it's fun to learn new things and read new stories.
Papa Bear said as he went to the oven to take out the cookies.
Those smell so yummy, Papa.
Um, should I taste a few just to make sure they are okay?
I mean, I'm sure they are, but we should make sure, right?
Bernice said with a great big grin.
Ha ha, after they cool, we can have a taste test.
It's sleepy time again, said Bernice, and I think I am super sleepy tonight.
Thank you for helping me make cookies, Papa.
I think everyone will love them.
You are welcome, little bear.
I think your classmates will appreciate the gesture most of all.
Then, Cookie walked into Bernice's bedroom, came over to her for a pet, and jumped up on the bed.
I think Cookie has the right idea.
Crawl into bed and I will be right back, Papa Bear said as he left the room, yawning as he walked.
Returning to her bedroom, he asked, Did you do all the things you need to do before bed?
I am sure I did.
I had a bubble bath, but I think I used too much bubble stuff because I think the bubbles might have reached the bathroom ceiling.
That's a lot of bubbles, Papa Bear said with a laugh.
After I dried myself off, I put on my flannel pajamas, brushed my teeth and did breathing exercises and a few stretches.
I even read a bit of my book, too, Bernice said with a big yawn.
You can't start yawning before I leave the room, Papa Bear said with another yawn.
You remember what happened last time.
Yeah, we gave each other the yawns because they are so contagious, Bernice said with a laugh.
I think I better try and go right to sleep before I start yawning uncontrollably and Mama has to come in and rescue me from a yawn attack.
Bernice said with an even bigger yawn.
I think that's a good idea, little bear, Papa Bear said with yet another yawn.
As they both yawned, Papa Bear gave Bernice a great big squeeze of a hug.
Yawn.
I love you, Papa.
Yawn.
I love you too, Little Bear.
And that is the end of our story.
Good night.
Sleep tight.
