A Foot and A Leg

Dan told me a funny story about an expression Ariel had used, but it never really sank in until she used the same expression on me today.

At nap/rest/quiet time (I'll take what I can get), under the false pretences that Ariel will actually go to sleep, we go through the bedtime motions:  stories, chair snuggle, rub her back and sing a song, and a final GOOD NIGHT.  As I go to leave the room - my hand perched on the doorway - Ariel half sits up in her bed, and says, "Can you please leave the door open a foot."  When Dan first heard her say this, I'm sure he was imagining how clever our three year old must be to be including measurements in her descriptions and requests.  Then, in both instances, she piped up, "Leave it open a foot and a leg."  I almost died.

To clarify, I repeated her request, "So you want me to leave this door open about a foot and a leg?"  "Yah", she intoned in a you-got-it manner.

Now Ariel will only sleep with the door open a foot and a leg.  Don't bother asking her if she needs a hand; she puts the pieces together all on her own.