Nap Stories Drenched in Leucadia Sunshine

Beacon Beach in Leaucadia, CA...where the story begins.

Putting Zo down to nap is a treat I rarely get. When she was small June tackled most of the tasks that tended to have a breast attached to them, then by the time we got home from Honolulu I had to go back to work and June got to hoard the daily endeavor of nap time. Of course there were the weekends where I could have sneaked a nap with Zo, but often enough we were gone or going and Zed slept in the car. Today were at home and so Zo can nap in her very own bed. Right around nap time Mom slipped off to grab some groceries and, I imagine, some pretty great feeling alone time, and so Dad stayed at home and talked Zo into sleep, and that's exactly how it's done...we talk.

I suppose it's a little more than just talking. We tell stories. That's right, tell, not read. We get all comfy in our chair...with any luck, the sun is pouring in through the window, and we slip into some lengthy nonsense about whatever we want. Zo watches my lips move and acknowledges my ins and outs, even answers my questions, sometimes she even helps the story along, but that's just sometimes. Today we talked about a little girl named, Lucy who lives in a cute little sunshiney house on Neptune Lane in Leucadia, California, right above the ocean. She collects rocks and shells on the beach and then brings them back up to the picnic table in her yard. She lets them dry and then inspects them again for changes in color and contour, then she keeps what she likes and trudges the rest back down the path to the beach. She has a dog named, "Friendly, who is indeed very friendly. He's a beautiful Golden Retriever and a not too shabby babysitter.

The house next to Lucy's is for sale, and we're going to move there if we win the lottery. Zoey and Lucy will be best friends and grow up like best friends do...Christmas morning phone calls, sleepovers, bike rides, boyfriends, shared classes, driving lessons, college, weddings, babies, blah be blah blah blah. It was a pretty long story. Eventually the eyes got heavy and Zo leaned her head against my shoulder. She wrapped her arms around my neck and then fell asleep. It's easy to fall asleep dreaming of a house on Neptune Lane in Leaucadia, California, so easy that I might try it myself.

There's a little cul de sac there, Cooper Court, just a few streets from the beach and Neptune Lane...just off of Jupiter St. I think I'll start dreaming right there.