Bedtime.

Last night, I was blessed with being able to hold Emma as she went to sleep. This is a rare occurance anymore, usually by bedtime I am ready for them to go and try not to give them time to dwadle. (Is this a word, anyways?) After she went to sleep, I looked at her sweet face and realized how big she is getting. Her hair is so thick, her eyelashes are so long. I notice that day by day how her expressions and mannerisms are changing.

She is becoming a big girl. I am so proud that I have a daughter.

Eli picked her up out of my lap and carried her upstairs to her room. Following this, Tripp climbed up in my lap and then he told me he was ready to go to sleep. He does this new thing with his belly - when he wants something, his belly talks to you. He makes his belly button the mouth and he always begins by saying "My belly says..." and it usually ends with "I am hungry" or "I am thirsty" or "I want some red juice." This comes out in a nice, growl -y voice.

So, last night after he told my "My belly says I am sleepy," I carried him upstairs and I laid down with him. And we talked. He told me the story of Goldilocks and the three bears. And he got it right.

When I put the kids to bed, they ask me to come back "just one more" oh, about fifty times.
I usually just walk away. But last night, since I did not have two children in competition with each other, and I went back twice for that ""just one more." What a blessing I got when I went back.

Tripp says to me "bend down and give me your ear." So I did, thinking he was going to whisper one of his secrets. Instead, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. As I melted in a puddle on the floor, I kissed his cheek back. He lifted his little hand and rubbed his cheek where I kissed. And then he told me " I wanted to keep it, Mom."

What a Good Night.