Bedtime Rituals

I was "rummaging" through some photos during nap time and found these that I never posted. This was several weeks ago, when the sun still made their room like daylight around bedtime (our kids go to bed on the late side...usually around 9pm for Sawyer, and Aspen will easily hang out another couple of hours after he goes to bed to get her one-on-one-I-can-get-into-any-of-my-brothers-toys-and-he-won't-take-it-away-or-scream-"MINE"-in-my-face-not-to-mention-one-on-one-time-with-mom-and-dad time. (whew that was long!)

I love this.

and this, too.

The fun we have at bedtime. Our bedtime routine stretches out easily for an hour or so. We all enjoy this time of day as we get ready for bed and unwind a bit. Mom and Dad aren't distracted by other things and we spend some quality time just playing together - bathing the kids, running and jumping around, tickling, giggling, flying, dancing, chasing, brushing teeth, reading, more reading, praying, hugging, kissing, and singing together.

A few things I would like to remember about our bedtime rituals NOW:

-Sawyer LOVES "reading" the encyclopedia for bedtime stories. He knows which ones he likes best, too: (A - lots of animals, automobiles, and airplanes and T - trains galore. He also enjoys the place one about Europe. Not exactly sure why?) It's pretty funny to see him bouncing up and down "up there, let's read "pedias"!!!"

-Aspen also loves books. But while Sawyer, from the day he was born, was a lover reading books - even long books, Aspen is a lover of eating them. This girl loves to stick everything and anything in her mouth and if we're not careful she'll get the boardbooks all soggy and start in on the paper pulp. Yikes. I guess she does like to feast upon words! She also really enjoys sitting next to her brother while listening to stories and likes to pat the pictures these days.

-Prayers. Of course the prayers of small children are always a delight and sometimes bring a smirk to parents faces. Or else melt our hearts! I love to hear the things Sawyer is thankful for - the Zoo is one of the things he is most thankful for!

-Songs. Sawyer is ALL boy. ALL BOY! He requests that we turn every single song into a song about race cars or tractors or semi trucks or trains. We have revised "The Wheels on the Bus" to be "The Wheels on the Race Car" (go vroom vroom vroom) and "Old MacDonald had a Farm" to "Old MacDonald had a...fill in your vehicle (train=choo choo, race car=vroom vroom, truck=honk honk honk - you get the idea). Anyway. Hilarious.

"FEEL." We don't even remember when this started, and we never called it "feel" but sometimes one of us will linger and pat or rub Sawyer's back for a couple minutes after we turn the lights out. If we start to walk away, he often requests "feel, feel" which means he wants a pat or a stroke on his back or across his forehead. While we always have things to do once our son is finally in bed, we never regret turning around for a minute or two to softly stroke his little head, or pat his little frame. We just love him like crazy. Often - well, every night at least once or twice before I go to bed, I go in to check on him. To kiss his little head. To hold his little hand. I know, I'm just about as bad as that Mom in "I'll Love You Forever" but another mother wrote that book and she knows what mother's do. Sometimes it's hard to believe that as he is growing older, so am I. I tell him often how much I love him. I hope he always remembers.

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These photos are from last night at bath time. It's really fun now that Aspen sits and crawls. She now gets to join her older bro for bath time, and she loves it! Of course, now his audience has also increased so when he splashes he gets even more giggles...except for when I snuck the camera in for 2 seconds and stood, straddled, above them with my *new baby* (we call her "Annie")....my very expensive new baby...and Daddy luckily warned me about the splashing before it was too late for Annie (this baby will never be joining in on the splashes and fun of bath time - or so I hope!)

Anyway, fun times happening around here. I love bath time - fresh-scented babies and then yummy lotion (I use the old fashioned pink stuff) and fresh pjs before bedtime stories. LOVE IT! As much as I love newborns and my heart sinks a little seeing my babies grow so fast, I must admit each new stage brings even more fun and adventure!

Oh the joys of bath and bedtime!

PS-Happy 7 months today, Aspen!

*Annie is my new Camera. We saved for her a good year, and - I really do need to add her to our homeowners insurance or something!*