Bedtime story-telling

I try to be consistent and read Kate at least a story every night before she sleeps. There was a period of time where I stopped doing this and I felt bad. But we started doing this again and I'm glad to do so. She's become more receptive to stories and I notice she picks up phrases from stories even if she's heard them once only. This happened when I overheard her saying (incoherently) "Rapunzel, Rapenzel, let your hair down!" When I first made out what she was saying I was really amazed. Cos I only read that story to her once before! Goes to show how quick and amazing their little brain works.

Anyway, this entry is really about her recent obsession with Goldilocks and the three bears. I think I mentioned this before where she went through a (very short) Princess phase. We're still going at the same fairy tale book I mentioned before and we'd done some princess tales, the three little pigs and we got to Goldilocks, or in Kate's words, the bear story.

I think it's been a whole week, but every single night, she wants the bear story! No matter that we read it the night before, no matter that I already read it to her one time in the night, she will want the same story, several times.

I get so tired of reading the same story (!!) but she really loves it. I then go into different ways of telling it. Sometimes I just narrate the outline and get her to fill in the storyline. By now, she knows to make the deep, growly voice for Papa Bear, the gentle voice for Mama Bear, and the little voice for Baby Bear (though the voices for Mama & Baby bear sounds largely similar but I was very amused when I realized that my character voices paid off when she imitated the different-pitched voices!) Oh, and sometimes, she calls the bears Papa, Mama and Kate (ala Kate bear. Hah!)

So last night, we settled down to read and (again!!) she says "I want to listen to the bear story" I try to distract her and entice her with other stories but I fail. I then tell her "but Kate, what about didi? What story does he want to listen to?"

She looks at me, then talks to my tummy "Didi, we listen to bear story, ok? OK!"

She then looks at me and says "Didi want bear story."

...

I read her the bear story.