Hello my sleepyheads,
It's Steph here and you've made it to bedtime with Steph in the Sleepytime Crew.
Are you tucked up in your snuggliest spot?
Good,
Because tonight we're going on an adventure with someone you might already know,
Ollie the otter.
Now you might remember Ollie as the champion of the invisible energy suit or maybe the king of the wobbly dance moves and possibly the only otter in history who once accidentally wore his pajamas to the shops without realizing.
It was a Tuesday but we don't talk about it.
Tonight's story is about a very big day for Ollie.
A day that made his tummy feel like it was full of tiny trampoline frogs doing somersaults.
Can you guess what it was?
Yeah it's his first day at a brand new school.
So come on let's see how he goes.
The sun peeked into Ollie's bedroom landing right on his whiskers.
Ollie mumbled pulling the blanket over his head.
Today was the day.
The day he could try to remember everyone's names without accidentally calling someone Mr.
Cheese or Fluffy McBumface.
Ollie was starting a new school today.
Ollie hadn't liked school so much so his mum and dad thought it might be a really good idea for him to try somewhere different.
He lay there thinking about all the what-ifs.
What if I don't make any friends?
What if I trip and fall and invent a dance move called the triple otter tumble?
Hmm actually that might be pretty cool.
What if my lunch smells weird?
And to be fair it was a fish sandwich so the odds were pretty high.
Mum came in with a smile and a warm familiar smell of apple juice and steaming hot porridge.
Ollie's favorite.
She sat on the bed.
She's brushed his fur gently and said Ollie you're going to have a wonderful day today.
Hmm he grumbled again.
He wasn't so sure.
Mum took both of his little otter paws and gave him their special goodbye ritual.
First a big squishy hug then the invisible snuggle string.
An invisible thread of love that stretched all the way from mum's heart to Ollie's and back again.
If you need me mum whispered just give it a tiny tug and I'll send you some extra love and courage.
Remember my darling you can do hard things.
That made the trampoline frogs in Ollie's tummy hop and somersault just a little bit slower.
The school gates were a bit bigger than Ollie remembered.
They creaked open as him and mum walked in.
The playground was buzzing with laughter but not the loud shouty kind.
It was more like the sound of bubbles popping or soft waves rolling in.
When they reached his classroom the door was wide open.
Inside the air felt different.
It was really really calm.
Warm sunlight spilled through the windows.
The walls were covered in colourful paintings.
Some of dragons some of rainbows and one of what looks suspiciously like a banana riding a skateboard.
Ollie smiled before he even realised he was smiling.
That made him giggle a little to himself.
Hello Ollie said the teacher Miss Bear who had a voice like soft marshmallows and the kindest eyes he'd ever seen.
She knew his name without even looking at a list.
This made his shoulders drop a little.
Ollie said his goodbyes to mum and she reminded him of his snuggle string again.
She gave him a loving rub on the head and a big cuddle and she said have a wonderful day Ollie.
I can't wait to hear all about it when I pick you up this afternoon.
Mum left and Ollie quickly made sure his invisible bubble suit was strong.
He tugged on the invisible zipper.
Yep it was fully zipped up to protect him from everyone else's emotions.
Miss Bear smiled her kind and reassuring smile to Ollie and she said are you ready to meet your classmates Ollie?
They are so excited to meet you.
He took a deep breath and he thought to himself it's okay mum's right I can do hard things and I've got this.
It's just a class full of friends that I haven't met yet.
As his classmates started to enter the room Ollie was pleasantly surprised.
They walked in calmly,
They put their things in their pigeonholes and they all sat at their desks ready to start their day.
Instead of frowns and curious stares he saw something he wasn't expecting.
Smiles,
Big happy excited smiles.
It was like they'd been waiting all year for this exact moment.
That's him whispered a platypus wearing a polka dot bowtie.
I heard he can balance snacks on his head while balancing on one foot said a flamboyant flamingo in sparkly purple sneakers.
Now this wasn't entirely untrue but impressive nonetheless.
Ollie made a mental note to give it a try later on.
Hi I'm Penny said the platypus grinning so widely that Ollie thinks she probably swallowed a few of her cute freckles that were on her cheeks.
I'm Frankie said the flamingo striking a pose so dramatic that two pencils fell out of his feathers.
And I'm Kip said a kangaroo who waved so enthusiastically that he knocked over a pile of crayons.
Ollie laughed just a little.
He felt so relieved.
He didn't feel like hiding anymore.
Penny showed Ollie where to put his bag.
Frankie pointed out the water fountain and Kip whispered and that cupboard is where the teacher keeps all of her emergency treats.
Ollie's eyes widened.
This was important information to know.
He noticed something else too.
No one was racing to be the best at anything.
No one was showing off or keeping score.
And when someone dropped their pencil another kid picked it up with a smile.
When someone finished their drawing everyone leaned in and said whoa that's awesome.
He noticed something else too.
No one was racing to be the best at anything.
No one was showing off or keeping score.
When someone dropped their pencil someone else picked it up and gave it back to them with a smile.
And when someone finished their drawing everyone leaned in and said whoa that's amazing.
The whole room felt safe.
Like floating in a bubble bath full of warm water.
Like lying under a blanket that smelled like sunshine and choc-chip cookies.
At recess Penny,
Frankie and Kip invited Ollie to play their favorite game.
Toast tag.
The rules were simple.
If you got tagged you had to lie down and pretend to be a piece of toast until someone butted you by patting your back.
And sometimes someone would yell jam attack and everyone had to spin in circles.
Ollie laughed so much that his whiskers wobbled.
At one point Frankie dropped his sandwich in a tree.
No one was sure how it happened and no one was really that bothered.
Kip tried to jump up to get it and he missed and he landed in a pile of soft leaves.
Everyone cheered like he just won a medal.
Ollie realized that the nervous flutters in his tummy were gone and replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling like maybe just maybe he belonged here.
Back in class they started working on a group project.
Ollie had an idea that didn't quite work and for a moment he was gonna get cranky with himself for not getting it right the first time.
And then for a second he started bracing for the teasing from his classmates.
But Penny said nice try Ollie.
I loved how you thought to put the corner here.
Let's see if we can make it even better.
Frankie offered to add some glitter and Kip clapped just because Ollie had tried his hardest.
That's when it really hit him.
This wasn't just a school.
This was a place where everyone lifted each other up instead of tearing each other down.
A place where kindness came first and everyone looked out for each other.
As the school day drew to a close Penny,
Frankie and Kip were already planning games to play with Ollie at recess and lunch tomorrow.
And Miss Bear told Ollie that he had done so well today and she could not wait to see him again tomorrow.
Ollie's paws felt tired but in the best way possible.
His cheeks were sore from smiling.
He couldn't quite believe how much fun he had had at school today.
He actually couldn't believe that school could be this much fun.
Maybe mum and dad were right after all.
The bell went and as he walked towards mum the afternoon sun wrapped him in a gentle golden glow.
He gave his snuggle string a tiny tug to send her the message,
I think I'm going to like it here.
Mum smiled like she already knew.
Mums always know don't they?
What a fantastic first day Ollie had but he was exhausted.
He crawled into bed barely able to keep his eyes open for a moment longer.
Mum and dad gave him their best bedtime hugs and said gosh Ollie you have done so well today.
We hope you're feeling so very proud of yourself.
Ollie gave mum and dad a sleepy nod as he drifted off to sleep.
And now my sleepy friends imagine your Ollie.
You're lying in your warm cozy bed after a big happy day.
Your body feels heavy in the best way.
Your face relaxed from all of the smiling.
The air around you feels calm,
Kind and safe just like Ollie's classroom.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and a long slow breath out through your mouth.
Your heart feels light and warm and your thoughts are soft and gentle.
And as you snuggle in you know that tomorrow holds more laughter,
More kindness and more new friends.
The stars twinkle quietly and the sky sighs in its sleep.
And you just like our animal friends are already halfway to dreamland.
Goodnight my little loves.
Sweet dreams.
Sleep well.
We'll talk again tomorrow.
