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| Making mud pie |
It has been too long! Life is going SO fast... Seldom do I have time to sit and just think over my day and write about it. I guess I need a good course on time management because mine seems to be all over the place!
Tonight my wonderful hubby is gone on an overnight trip for work. We have all been missing him. Every night he helps me tuck the kids into bed. Whenever he is away I realize how much he does to help keep up with the big "to-do list" of raising a 4, 3, and 1 year old. I admit I don't always feel spoiled because I am so exhausted, but when I think about how much Jon does I realize I truly am one spoiled wife! Anyway I need to get back on track. Rabbit trails are a HUGE downfall of mine!
Our precious Ethan has always required a lot of care when it comes to his bed time routine. For the first couple years his bed time was difficult to say the least. It wasn't too hard when he was in a crib because we could just say good night and close the door. But, when the crib days were over, the calmness of bedtime was also over! Now that he is four years old we have finally gotten past the days of much screaming, crying, and disciplining. SO THANKFUL!!! Now every night there is a good routine that we go through. Unlike some children who "think" they need something more at bedtime, we have FINALLY come to realize that Ethan really does "need" some extra attention and care. So we have learned to help him with whatever it is that will help him feel secure enough to rest his head in peace knowing that he is loved and cared for.
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| Their "new" sandbox! It is a "little" small, but I only paid $3.99 for it, and they LOVE it ;0) |
Although we have a basic bed time routine for all three kids. The girls really don't need any "extra" help. They are one and three years old now. Once they are in their pajamas we pretty much just tuck them in, pray, and kiss them good night. SO easy I KNOW! Ethan however has a different routine he made up all on his own :0) That is okay because Ethan is a different child and has some special challenges to face. Every night for a VERY long time Ethan has asked Daddy to tuck him in first. YES, the "key" word is first!
For the last couple weeks Ethan has asked Daddy to tell him "Noah's Ark" every night. Ethan "LOVES" routine so Jon rolls with the punches and tells him the same story EVERY night. However since Ethan knows the story backwards and forwards Jon has learned to make it interesting and leave out details and purposefully make mistakes so that our very perceptive, little guy can quickly correct him and tell him what was left out. This part of Ethan's bed time routine is usually filled with lots of giggles and laughter. Sometimes I'll stand outside the room and just listen in smiling to myself! Ethan has to remind Daddy that there were not "three", but "two" of every kind of animal. And it was a "dove" that came back with the leaf, etc. Ethan's grand finale is always making sure Daddy "remembers" the promise of the rainbow at the end. Ethan is my "detail" man, and catches on to ANY mistake. For instance: Tonight I had to tell the story and Ethan had listed off all the animals he could think of. I thought I would remind him of some animals he missed and started saying different animals including the octopus. Right away Ethan said, "Nooo, those didn't go in the ark. They live in the water!" Love it!
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| Can you tell he is having fun? |
Number two tuck is next. Once the Noah's Ark is over, Daddy kisses Ethan, tells him good night, and then it is Mommas turn!!! (NOTE: Jon and I usually come out of Ethan's room with a smile, but sometimes when we are VERY tired we look at the other, sigh (there may or may not be rolling of the eyes ;0), and say, "You're up or your turn!") Now for some reason when I go in next Ethan has picked my time to be the prayer time. I do feel "honored" because this is really the sweetest, best, most precious time of the day I have with my big four year old! No matter how difficult the day--THIS time is sacred.
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| The "land" of dinosaurs. |
Before Ethan prays I almost always ask him who he wants to pray. He ALWAYS says, "ME!" He falls into that sweet, "Ethan" voice and starts his prayer. I find his prayers so precious and very interesting. Ethan has always had a pattern for everything he does, and his prayers definitely show that. But the fun thing is that he has really started to add his own thoughtful requests and thankful praise every night. I am always amazed at how thoughtful his prayers are for other people. He remembers when someone close to him is struggling with a tummy ache, headache, or boo boo. It is sometimes a rebuke to me that I have not yet prayed for that person during the day!
Ethan especially remembers his Pastor, teachers, family, and friends. He prays for us all every night. His prayers also consist of a "bucket load" of thank yous! Most of these are in the same order every night. "Thank you for my home, my bed, my room, food, my teachers, Na na and Pa pa, church etc." The interesting part is that he has started adding in something from each day that he is thankful for. I am learning what things mean a lot to him through this. Most nights he ends by saying thank you for Pastor, and then he pipes up and says, "and Miss Kay too!" The way he says "Miss Kay too!" always makes me smile. (Miss Kay is our sweet Pastor's wife.) Usually once Ethan is through with all of his many "thank-yous" he ends his prayer. I have to add that his prayers can be very lengthy at times. He he!! I guess I am not suppose to be thinking that though ;0)
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| Play dough fun |
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| It is side ways, but this is Ethan's "E" from play dough. |
Tuck three is the last. As soon as prayer time is over Ethan right away asks for Daddy again. It is kind of the sandwich effect: Daddy, Mommy, Daddy. I've come to think of it as the "Daddy Security Effect." This last time that Jon goes in to say "goodnight" is very brief. It is basically a kiss, a stern "goodnight", brief hug, "I love you", and a "Go to bed son!" And once that is done Ethan literally curls into his blankets, closes his eyes, and goes to sleep. Whew!!! By that point Jon and I feel like two tired puppies! That is the routine EVERY single night come sunshine or rain, rain or hail, headache or no headache, migraine or no migraine, flue or no flue. Am I starting to make my point?!!! :0) It doesn't matter how much pain one of us is in because that little/big boy just "ain't" goin to bed without that "Daddy Security Effect!" I'm giggling as I write because I see the humor in it all. Yet it HAS to be done if this house full of big and little people are going to sleep! Thankfully the "have to's" can be enjoyable too. Now I am going to end with one of my Mom's funny "sayings" that she used on me while I was growing up: "Well, just bless his(your) little, pee-pickin heart!!!
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| Love this boy!!! |
