Bedtime

Bedtime with my girl.

It’s my favorite thing. Well, the pre-bedtime part is my favorite…not the post good-night-I-love-you race to the potty, needing one more book, needing daddy etc. But the part leading up to all that…it’s good.

Since we moved Emmie to a twin bed, bedtime is like a little sleepover every night. We put on our jammies and snuggle in bed. We lay with our heads on her pillow and talk about the day. I rub her back and she brushes my hair. It is one of the only times I can get this busy body to be still and 100% present. We “do colors” and say the colors of everything we see in her room. We do prayers and then we say our “thankfuls.” Emmie is always thankful for Mommy, Daddy, Ethan, Nana, Papa and Date Damma (great grandma) in that order…unless something really cool happened that day and then she’s thankful for new shoes or something equally meaningful.

I find it hard to pry myself from her bed each night. I just want to lay there and take it all in. She is so funny and silly and loving. And little! I know this girl of mine is growing up but every one in a while, I catch a glimpse of what a teeny little person she still is. So much to learn, so much growing to do.

And I know these moments are fleeting and soon enough she’ll be having sleepovers with friends and mom will take a backseat to the friend next door.

So the bedtime routine is a little long these days and that’s okay with me.

(Last night Emmie helped me read her Elmo book and was more than intrigued with the flash on my phone, I didn’t realize until later that the light was ridiculously bright.)