Taking Time

Bedtime can be a draining experience. Sometimes I wonder why it takes at least an hour to take baths, brush teeth, get pjs on, read books, say prayers, and get tucked in. I have to remind myself that this can be a fun time to spend with the kids and not get irritated when they're being pokey. I guess it was when they started sharing a room that the boys would ask Brian to lay on their floor after story time. Allie was a tiny baby so I was always taking care of her. It was a great chance for Brian to talk to the boys and find out about their day. It has become part of the nightly ritual now. Sometimes when Brian would go to the gym or have to work late, they would ask me to lay on the floor. I would say, "That's a Daddy thing." But then I started feeling guilty, so I decided my back could handle 5 or 10 minutes on the floor.

Their "thing" right now is wanting to hear a funny story about Mommy or Daddy when we were little. Or a funny story about them when they were younger. They love the one about Spence smearing diaper cream all over himself, or the one where Coleman was bribed to eat two pieces of corn, puked it up on the floor, then said, "Can I have my cookie now?" (If I weren't too lazy I might link back to those posts. They are classics. Check back later.)

Since Brian was having to work late tonight, I laid on the floor after story time. I told them a story from my childhood where we were driving back from Florida and I had a stomach bug and didn't quite make it to a bathroom in time. I was really surprised that they said that wasn't too silly. They're a tough crowd. Then I told them about the time Coleman's stuffed animal named Chicken saved the day. I had forgotten to put up the gate on the stairs and Spence tumbled down, only to land safely on chicken. They laughed and laughed! I really thought the poop story would win in their books. Then the conversation turned all philosophical. Spence was asking if we'd sleep in heaven, and I said I didn't think we would need to. Then they started asking about food. I told them that I imagined the food would be really good, and nothing would be bad for us. Spence hopes there are grapes in heaven. And Coleman hopes that they add sugar to food, but it's not bad for us!

Sometimes it can be hard not to rush through the day and try to fill every moment with some activity to keep us all busy. It's nice just to lay on the floor, talk about whatever, laugh, and enjoy each other. Good night everyone!