Thursday, March 30, 2017

The Bedtime Hour(s)

The time of excuses, and "need to tell you something", quarrels over how far open the bedroom door should be or if it should be shut, and a healthy dose of crying. Drinks of water pleas and numerous trips to the bathroom, and some more crying.

Nursing babies, tucking in a toddler, bedtime prayers, and reminders for lights out. Hoping to get the dishwasher loaded but valuing any possible minute of sleep more.

Trying to hang on to the small string of sanity that began fraying 45 minutes before the whole routine started.

Attempting to remember who has showered and who needs to. Feeding the family members who come home from the farm after bedtime and getting them to take off their muddy clothes before they dive on a couch. Get them cleaned or fed first?

Getting the twinks settled and my husband asking a question. Doesn't he know by now if the sense me move or hear my voice they wake up and the crying starts all over!? Resisting the urge to say "your turn to parent" and remembering he has been working for the last 14 hours and is tired too.

At the end of bedtime prayers I ask everyone in the family to pick one thing from their day they were grateful for, the best/favorite part, and thank God they were able to experience it. I do this more for me. I am emotionally spent at this point and it can be hard to feel grateful. There really is so much to be grateful everyday though.

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