April 9, 2011

A Little Man's Bedtime

It’s a little man’s bedtime.
Quiet, peaceful. 
Only a little light shines from the corner of your room.
This our little place.
A big comfy chair.
Your books.
Your big stuff dog.
You in your PJ’s.
Earlier you picked those out all on your own!
With fresh bath-time hair.
It’s curly and still damp and it smells sooo good!!
We read a story. 
You flip the pages of your board books with abandon
Sometimes you stop to flip back to the beginning before we even finish. 
This makes me laugh
And re-read the same pages many times!
Then I read you another story.
Sometimes it is Dr. Suess. 
Sometimes it is “If you Give a Moose a Muffin”. 
Sometimes it’s “You are My I love You.”
I have to choke that one out because at the end I cry every time.
This story embodies my love for you.
I swell with emotion thinking about how blessed I am to have you.
To hold you.
To get to love you
To see your silly smile.
When the stories are done we turn out the lights. 
You cry in protest…but only for a bit.
Ocean sounds roll from the player on your shelf.
Like a wiggle worm you move and stretch.
You are my little sleep-fighter.
You sit up in my lap
Talking to me with your hands
Your jibberish makes me laugh so hard, you laugh too
You lay your head on my shoulder
More twisting
More turning.
I sing you a song
You get still
Curling up just like you did as a baby
Still jabbering about something
Your little hand…you always put it to my lips for a kiss. 
Didn’t I mention that you’re my sleep fighter?
Chubby legs and little toes wave past my face
Wiggly hands and fingers to do
You rub your eyes.
Your sleepy face looks up at me
I tell you it is a big boy’s bedtime
I kiss you on your forehead as many times as you’ll let me
And slip you in your crib.
I love you.
Sleep tight
Dream well.
It’s a little man’s bedtime

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