By Fern Ronay

Toothbrush. Check.
Makeup remover. Check.
Pajamas. Check.
All tucked neatly in my favorite overnight bag.

I’m on my way to a sleepover and I'm so excited. No, I’m not ten years old. I’m thirty-something and I’m an auntie. Whenever I’m at home in New Jersey, visiting my family, my ten year old niece always asks if I can sleep over and my mom and dad finally said Yes! Kidding. I was finally able to say yes.

We went to dinner at a hibachi restaurant.
Followed by ice cream. Naturally.
Followed by games (Life: Fame edition. My favorite.)
Followed by sleep.

Or trying to sleep but it wasn’t happening even though we should have been exhausted. Don't you hate when that happens?

Niece: I can’t fall asleep.
Me: Did you say your prayers?
Niece: Yeah.
Me: Did you count sheep?
Niece: No.
Me: That doesn’t work anyway. Do you ever play the name game?
Niece: What’s that?
Me: For each letter of the alphabet, come up with a name that ends in “ina.”
Niece: Huh?
Me: It works. You’ll be asleep by Marina. I promise.
Niece: What? Really?
Me: We’ll go back and forth. I’ll start. Angelina. You go. B.
Niece:  … um … Bettina.
Me: Carina.

I was wrong. We were still awake by Zina.

So, we moved on to “elle.”  She went first.
Arielle.
Brielle.
By Marielle, she was yawning and so was I.

Who needs the Sandman when you've got the name game?
It may be a little weird but so is the quirky aunt from L.A.
Sweet dreams!
Pancakes for breakfast. Naturally.

Do you have sleepovers with your nieces and nephews? What are your tips for falling asleep?

Photo: CHOReograPH
Published: June 29, 2016
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Fern Ronay released her first novel Better in the Morning, the story of a single, 29-year-old lawyer who is guided in her dreams by her dead Italian grandparents, in April 2016. She is working on her next book and averaging at least eight of hours of sleep.