Too Many Kisses

TOO MANY KISSES

It was getting close to bedtime and the baby girl, who really was a big girl now, gave Mommy and Daddy one little kiss before she ran off to play a few minutes more.

Mommy and Daddy were talking in the living room.  They were just saying that it was almost time for someone to go to bed.   Before they finished the sentence, the little girl was back…for one more kiss.  Mommy and Daddy looked at each other and smiled.

Their baby girl had kissed them and run to play.

It wasn’t long before she was walking tiptoe across the room again.  She looked at Mommy with her big brown eyes.  Then she ran to her and kissed her right on the lips.

“That’s too many kisses”, Mommy said.  But already, the girl was off, playing with her dolls and paying no more attention to Mommy.

In another minute, she was standing in the living room again.  This time, she said, “Are you good, Daddy?” 

“I’m good,” he said, and smiled at his baby girl.  “Do you need a kiss, Daddy?” 

“Yes, baby, I love kisses.”  She gave him a quick hug and pecked his cheek.  Again, she ran off, for it was very close to bedtime, and she did NOT want to go to bed.

“Love…”, Mommy said. “I think it’s time for bed.”

Very quickly she was with them again.  She gave her mommy a little kiss, and she gave her daddy a little kiss.

“That’s too many kisses,” Daddy said.  “It’s time for bed.”

She didn’t hear him.  She was already in another room, playing quiet as a mouse. 

But before long, Mommy and Daddy saw their baby girl standing in the doorway.  She had more kisses to give!  This time, she kissed mommy TWO times!  Then she kissed Daddy TWO times!  Everybody laughed.

“My goodness,”  Mommy said.  “That’s too many kisses.  I think it’s time for bed.”

The little girl just smiled her sweet little smile.  She ran away.

Soon she was back, though.  “I need to give you a kiss, Daddy.  I need to give you a kiss, Mommy.”

“No”, they said together.  They were being so patient.  “You NEED to go to bed!”, Daddy said.

“Kisses!”  she yelled.  “Kisses!”  And she kissed them each again.

“Love, that’s too many kisses.  It’s time for bed.”

Her mommy picked her up, but she wriggled free.  She ran to her Daddy, jumped in his lap, and squeezed his neck tightly.  “One more,” she said.  “Just one more kiss.”  Daddy smiled and held her close.   He carried to bed, and when he had tucked her in, he gave her hundreds of little kisses.  Mommy came, too.  She kissed her and kissed her until she laughed and laughed.

“That’s TOO many kisses, Daddy. That’s too many kisses, Mommy”

“There’s no such thing as too many kisses,” Daddy said.

And so she kissed them both one more time before she closed her eyes and finally went to sleep.