Stories in the darkness and the great pyjama debate

Last night was bedtime story at the Children's Centre.
The children arrived wrapped in blankets of excitement.  Not because they were going to listen to stories but because it was dark and they were coming to Nursery in their pyjamas.
And, pyjama envy aside, there was something magical about it.
Pyjama clad, we searched the Nursery for the headteacher and when we found her fast asleep, wearing rollers in her hair, silk pyjamas and furry slippers, the children seemed to think it was perfectly normal.  Of course teachers live at school?
And as we all  fell under the Divali spell of our story- teller, weaving tales of evil  kings, brave children and lights in the darkness, it was hard not to feel part of something special.
When the stories were over and the hot chocolate drunk, I watched  everyone disappearing into the night.
Children wrapped tightly in fluffy dressing gowns, clutching teddy bears, parents pushing buggies or holding tightly onto tiny hands.
We tidied the Nursery and whenever we found a discarded blanket, we picked it up, folded it carefully and packed away the excitement.
Ready for next year's bedtime story.

And now there is an ongoing  pyjama debate raging in our house.  
My friend's daughter was horrified yesterday when I explained that I sometimes go to the corner shop, at the end of our road, in my pyjamas.
 She looked sympathetically at Mia, who shrugged and said " see what I have to put up with."
 I tried to explain that pyjamas are snug, warm and exceptionally fashionable at the moment.
But my friend's daughter kept repeating: " you go to the shop in your pyjamas!"
 I asked her what she would do.
She said she would get dressed, go to the shop, come  home and put her pyjamas back on.
" That seems like a lot of effort just to buy a pint of milk," I said.
" At least no one would see me in my pyjamas," she said.
At which point Mia told the story of how, one time, she had been chatting to her friends by the shop when I arrived, pyjama clad, said hello and walked straight in.
.  My friend's daughter looked at me.
" At least," the look seemed to say, " if you can't do if for yourself. get dressed for your daughter's sake!"
But life's too short to get dressed, when your pyjamas are so warm and comfortable.
 That's what I say.