Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
Each week we share a few shout-outs and birthday wishes for listeners who help support the show.
It's a small way we say thank you, and it always makes us smile.
Happy birthday to Kyrie on January 27th.
Mommy and Daddy are so proud of how kind, smart, strong, and what a good kid you are.
Love you.
Happy birthday, Elizabeth and Hunter.
We love you so much and are so proud of you both.
Love, Mom, Dad, Jinx, and Rosie.
Happy 7th birthday to Susanna in Mexico City.
We love you so much and we are so proud of you.
Dad, Mom, and Sophia.
Happy birthday, Jane and Sophia.
Let's hope we don't get Mr. Cowdow from Eve and Grace.
Happy birthday, Atlas, on January 21st.
Mom, Dad, Cuzzy, Snow, and Simba love you.
Happy 6th birthday to Clara. from Vancouver on January 16th.
Mommy, Daddy, Kootelook, and Grandma love you so much and wish you the happiest birthday ever.
And happy birthday, Sun Bun.
You are our sweet and silly mathist slash artist, and we love you forever.
Love, Mommy, Daddy, Macy, and Calvin.
Happy birthday to you all and thank you all for supporting the show.
We're so grateful you're here with us.
Whether you've been listening since the beginning or just found us last week, you're part of something really special.
Millions of families around the world making bedtime a little sweeter together.
This year we have some lovely new stories planned more adventures, more wonder and maybe even a few surprises.
We can't wait to share them with you.
Now, on to our story.
Libby has decided that after the disaster of her last presentation, she is going to be perfect.
She has practiced and practiced and is ready to go and show the class what she can do.
Margarita keeps knocking over her cards and Libby finally grabs them up and heads out the door to give her presentation.
Libby and the Perfect Presentation Libby opened her eyes and looked at the clock.
She'd beaten her alarm again, which she had done all week.
For the past seven days, she'd been waking up early to practice her presentation.
The full presentation, including rehearsing her cue cards in front of the bathroom mirror while brushing her teeth, which was hard because she had a toothbrush in her mouth and each time she spoke, toothpaste would splatter onto the mirror.
Good morning, Margarita, Libby said, sitting up and stretching.
She let out a huge yawn, but immediately shook her head.
No time for tired, not today.
Today was the day.
Margarita, curled at the foot of the bed, cracked one eye open and gave Libby a look that showed she wasn't too impressed with this early rise routine.
She needed her beauty sleep.
Sorry, Margarita, Libby said, but you remember last time I gave a presentation, right?
I was so nervous I could barely stand up straight, and you helped me.
Well, sort of.
This time, I'm going to be super prepared.
I've even practiced when to smile and when to breathe.
She grinned.
It's going to be the best presentation the school has ever seen.
She reached for her note cards on her nightstand.
Perfectly stacked color-coded, with each transition highlighted in yellow, and ran through it one more time.
Good morning, class.
Today I'm going to tell you about.
Margarita simply stretched and said You could be more enthusiastic, Libby said, as she quickly looked through her cards before getting dressed.
She didn't usually care much about what she wore.
Comfort was more important to her than following the latest fashion trends.
But she had set out her favorite black hoodie the night before and even ironed it so that she would look super prepared.
After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, leaving the mirror splattered with toothpaste again, Libby came downstairs at exactly 7 am with her note cards tucked safely in her hoodie pocket.
Her mom was already at the kitchen table with her coffee, trying to wake up the way adults do.
You're up early again, her mom said.
Big day?
The biggest, Libby replied, sitting down with perfect posture.
I have my presentation today and I need to stay on schedule.
On schedule?
For breakfast?
For everything?
Libby pulled out her note cards and set them beside her plate.
If I eat in 12 minutes, I'll have exactly 8 minutes to do one quick double-time final run-through before we leave.
Her mom blinked.
Libby...
You know you don't have to.
Good morning, class, Libby began, reading from her first card while reaching for her toast.
Today, I'm going to tell you about the water cycle, which is one of the most important processes on Thump.
Margarita landed on the table with zero grace and even less warning.
Margarita, Libby yelled. can't be up here.
I'm working.
Margarita ignored her completely.
She sniffed Libby's toast, then batted at her note card sticking out from the stack.
No, no, no, Libby said, pulling the cards closer.
These are color coded.
If they get out of order, I'll Margarita's paw shot out and knocked the top three cards onto the floor.
Libby gasped, Margarita!
Her mom tried very hard not to laugh as Libby scrambled to pick them up.
You know, her mom said gently, maybe you're a little too prepared?
Libby froze, cards in hand.
Too prepared?
Too prepared?
There's no such thing as too prepared for a science presentation.
Last time, I wasn't prepared enough, and I was a nervous wreck.
This time I know exactly what I'm going to say, exactly when I'm going to say it and exactly how I'm going to say it.
I even practiced my smile.
Libby demonstrated. flashing a wide, slightly unnatural grin.
Her mom tilted her head.
Honey, that looks a little... intense.
It's confident, Libby insisted, reshuffling her cards.
Yellow highlights on the transitions, green for key facts, blue for the conclusion.
Perfect.
Margarita, meanwhile, had moved on to Libby's plate.
Margarita, no, Libby said.
I need to eat this in exactly twelve minutes.
The cat blinked at her slowly, then, very deliberately, reached out one paw and tapped Libby's toast.
It tumbled off the plate. and landed butter side down on the floor.
Libby stared at it in horror.
Margarita!
Her mom sighed, getting up to grab a paper towel.
I'll make you another piece.
But Libby, seriously, maybe you should relax a little.
You know your stuff.
But what if I forget something?
Libby said in a super serious voice.
What if I miss a transition?
What if... What if you just talk like a normal person?
Her mom suggested gently, handing her fresh toast.
Libby frowned.
Margarita hopped off the table and sauntered toward her bowl to wait for her breakfast pizza, like she'd completed a very important mission.
Libby glared after her.
You could at least pretend to be supportive.
From across the kitchen came a loud, unbothered, meh.
Libby sighed, checking the clock.
7.22 a.m., already behind schedule.
She grabbed her toast, shoved her note cards back in her pocket and tried to ignore the nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.
Everything was supposed to be perfect today.
It took forever to get her snow boots on, and her jacket, and the hat her mother made her wear.
Why did it have to be winter on perfect presentation day?
By the time Libby finally stepped outside, she was already running two minutes behind schedule.
She walked quickly, mentally rehearsing as she went.
Good morning, class.
Today, I'm going to tell you about the water cycle, which is one of the most important processes on Earth.
First, we have evaporation, which occurs when... Libby, wait up!
She barely heard the voice behind her, which occurs when water is heated by the sun and transforms into Libby.
A hand waved in front of her face.
She blinked and found her friend Emma standing right in front of her, slightly out of breath.
Oh, hi, Emma.
Emma laughed.
I've been calling your name for like a block.
You okay?
Okay?
Yeah, sorry, just thinking.
About your presentation?
Emma fell into step beside her.
You're going to do great.
Libby nodded automatically.
First, we have evaporation.
Hey, bunch of us are going to the park after school, Emma continued.
There's supposed to be good packing snow.
Maybe we can make a sculpture or something.
Paint the snow green? which occurs when water is heated by... Libby?
Hmm?
Oh, sorry, I can't.
I need to stay focused.
Emma raised an eyebrow.
Focused?
Your presentation is this morning.
Yeah, but what if I need to... I don't know.
Emma looked like she wanted to say more, but they'd already reached the school steps.
Okay, well...
Good luck, I guess.
Thanks, Libby said, already pulling out her note cards as she walked through the front doors.
Emma watched her go, shaking her head.
Libby didn't notice.
She was too busy rehearsing transition number four.
Her presentation was second period, so after putting her code in her locker, she went to her first class.
English, one of her favorites, and started practicing.
The teacher asked her a couple questions about what they were reading in class, but she didn't hear him at all, which made the class chuckle.
By the time first period ended, Libby's stomach was doing somersaults, but not the nervous kind from last time.
This was different.
This was the feeling of being ready.
She walked into her science class with her head high, her note cards perfectly organized in her hand.
Ah, Libby, her teacher, Mrs. McDonough, said with a warm smile.
Ready to go?
Absolutely, Libby said.
Maybe a little too confidently.
She walked to the front of the room, set her note cards on the podium in perfect order and turned to face the class.
Deep breath.
Smile on transition three.
Eye contact on the key facts.
Good morning, class, she began, her voice clear and strong.
Today, I'm going to tell you about the water cycle, which is one of the most important processes on Earth.
Perfect, exactly as practiced.
She moved through her presentation flawlessly.
Every word in exactly the right place, every pause precisely timed first evaporation, then condensation, then precipitation.
But something felt weird.
She was saying everything right.
Her voice wasn't shaking.
She wasn't forgetting anything.
So why did the class look kind of bored?
A boy in the third row yawned.
Libby's confidence wobbled slightly, but she pushed through to her conclusion.
And finally, the water collects in bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes and oceans, where the cycle begins again.
She smiled, exactly as practiced, and looked up at Mrs. McDonough, and that is the water cycle.
Brief pause, polite applause.
Mrs. McDonough nodded approvingly.
Very thorough, Libby.
Well done.
But then she tilted her head slightly.
Now, before you sit down, can you tell me why the water cycle matters?
In your own words.
Libby froze.
In her own words?
She looked down at her note cards, flipping through them quickly.
Where was that part?
She knew she'd written something about Take your time, Mrs. McDonough said gently.
But Libby's mind was completely blank.
She'd memorized every single word of her presentation.
But now that she had to think for herself?
Um, she stammered.
It's important because... Because it's a process?
Mrs. McDonough waited.
And...
It helps the earth?
Libby added weakly.
Someone in the back row coughed.
Libby's face turned red.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
She'd been perfect.
She'd said everything exactly right.
So why did she feel like she'd just done poorly?
Mrs. McDonough gave her an encouraging smile.
That's okay, Libby.
You clearly put a lot of work into memorizing the steps.
But sometimes it helps to step back and think about what it all means, not just what the words are.
Libby nodded.
You can sit down now, Mrs. McDonough said kindly.
Libby gathered her note cards with shaking hands. and walked back to her seat, her face burning.
After school, Libby trudged through the front door of her house, dropped her backpack on the floor and slumped onto the couch.
Her mom, working from home today, looked up from her laptop.
How'd it go?
Fine, Libby muttered.
Just fine?
Libby pulled out her note cards and stared at them.
I said everything right.
I didn't forget anything.
I smiled at exactly the right times.
She looked up, confused.
But when Mrs. McDonough asked me to explain it in my own words, I couldn't.
I just blanked.
Her mom closed her laptop.
Maybe you were so focused on getting the words perfect that you forgot to actually think about them.
Before Libby could respond, Margarita jumped onto the coffee table and knocked the note cards onto the floor.
Again.
Margarita, Libby groaned.
The cat stretched lazily, completely unbothered. then hopped down and padded toward the kitchen.
Libby watched her go, then sighed.
Why is everything so easy for you?
From the kitchen came a familiar, meh.
After dinner, Libby sat at the kitchen table.
Her note cards spread out in front of her again.
I'm going to practice one more time, she announced.
Maybe if I just go through it again, I'll figure out what went wrong.
Her mom raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
Margarita, who had been napping in her pizza-shaped bed, wandered over and jumped onto the table.
Not now, Margarita, Libby said, gently pushing her away.
I need to focus.
Margarita sat down directly on top of her yellow highlighted transition card.
Margarita, seriously?
The cat yawned and started grooming her paw, completely ignoring Libby's protests.
Libby sighed and tried to work around her.
Okay.
Good morning, class.
Today I'm going to tell you about...
Margarita knocked a green card off the table.
Margarita!
The cat blinked at her innocently, then batted at another card.
Libby grabbed the cards before Margarita could scatter them completely.
Fine, you want to be difficult?
I'll just talk without the cards.
She took a deep breath and started again.
But this time she wasn't reading.
She was just talking.
So basically the water cycle is how water moves around the earth.
It starts with evaporation, which is when the sun heats up water and it turns into vapor.
Then it goes up into the sky and cools down and that makes clouds.
And when the clouds get too heavy, The water falls back down as rain or snow or whatever.
Margarita meowed and head-butted Libby's hand.
Libby paused, scratching behind the cat's ears.
And then the water goes into rivers and lakes and oceans, and the whole thing starts over again.
It's kind of cool, actually.
Like, all the water on Earth just keeps recycling itself over and over.
Libby, her mom said quietly from the doorway.
Libby looked up.
What?
That sounded so much better.
Libby blinked.
It did?
You weren't just reciting words.
You were actually explaining it, like you understood it.
Libby looked down at Margarita, who had curled up on her lap, purring contentedly.
Huh, she said softly.
I guess I was just talking, like I was telling Margarita about it.
Her mom smiled.
Exactly.
Libby stroked Margarita's soft fur, thinking.
When she wasn't trying to be perfect, when she wasn't worried about hitting every single word exactly right, it actually felt easier natural, like herself,
Maybe, Libby said slowly, I was trying too hard to be perfect instead of just being me.
Margarita let out a quiet, meh, as if to say obviously.
The next morning, Mrs. McDonagh pulled Libby aside before class.
I could tell you were disappointed yesterday, she said kindly.
Would you like to try again?
Just the why it matters part.
No pressure.
Libby hesitated, then nodded.
Okay, but can I do it without my note cards?
Mrs. McDonagh smiled.
Of course.
Libby took a deep breath and faced the class.
So the water cycle matters because well, without it, we wouldn't have fresh water to drink and plants wouldn't grow and basically nothing would survive.
She paused, thinking, it's kind of amazing, actually.
The same water that's falling as rain today has been around forever, like forever.
Maybe a dinosaur drank it once, or it was a cloud over ancient Egypt or something.
A few kids leaned forward, actually interested.
Anyway, Libby finished, that's why it's important.
Because it keeps everything alive.
Mrs. McDonough beamed.
Perfect, Libby.
That's exactly what I was looking for.
Libby grinned.
That afternoon, she came home and found Margarita waiting by the door.
Guess what, Libby said, scooping her up.
I didn't need to be perfect.
I just needed to be me.
Margarita purred and head-butted her chin.
Thanks for the help, Libby whispered.
Best assistant ever.
Meh.
And that is the end of our story.
Good night.
Sleep tight.
