My Mommy!

Our bedtime routine is pretty much the same that it has always been. Try to wind down the madness going on ... change in jammies ... brush teeth and wash hands/face ... use the bathroom ... read some books in bed ... sings songs ... pray. And - throw in baths at the beginning of that every other night or so (seems like more baths are necessary now that we're outside a lot more - but I'm hoping once we start pulling out the hose during hot weather, the need for nightly baths will once again decrease slightly). Eli and I usually each take a boy - if we're both home -and tackle the routine.

But the past few nights, "Mommy" has been the one that both boys request for putting them down to bed. Don't get me wrong, I don't envision this as anything super amazing. A short phase. In fact, I consider it rather miraculous that at the end of the day - which they have spent with Mommy - they are still requesting more time with me: seeing as I am the one that has sent them to the majority of their time outs, given them the most lectures, retricted the most activities (No, I'm sorry. We don't go to the bathroom outside in our backyard. And my answer will always be NO!) Why don't they want the fun and rowdy Daddy? They will ... give it a few days or weeks and suddenly he'll be the "ONE".

But now they 've both caught on that the other one also wants Mommy. And they're fighting over it. Not that it's physically impossible for me to do both children - we just try and split it in order to get it done ON TIME so that we still HAVE TIME before we crash into bed. Two bedrooms, two kiddos = two parents doing duty. = ) But tonight, my two (mostly) naked children (yes, stirring the ash/water mixture in the fire pit outside did get rather messy) decided that they both wanted, no, I'm sorry, they both NEEDED Mommy to put them to bed. So, they attacked me.

Grabbed me: shouting "My Mommy" at each other. Eli snapped a couple pictures. I laughed. = ) Silly, but funny, and a memory all at the same time. Why? Because someday they won't even want me to get them ready, read them a book, sing them a song and then give them kisses upon kisses goodnight. They'll want their door shut instead of open ... they'll say "g'night" and head away to a room that off limits -wishfully - to me.

So, I'll remember this and smile back. And even though Reuben was eventually handed into Eli's arms for nighttime ... I'll try and enjoy every single night of bedtime routine I still get ...