It starts with the bath. Constant reminders are needed that we keep the water in the bathtub or we have to get out. Apparently this is a very difficult rule to follow.
After several warnings, and a pool of water on the floor, both children are taken out of the tub. Of course, they fight over who gets out first, and there are some tears from the one who comes in second place.
Too eager to put on their pajamas, the children (again) need warnings that running while wet may result in a fall, and they are strongly encouraged to remain still while I dry them. Once dried, they are no longer eager to put on their pajamas.
They need some enticement, so I tell them “If you both get your pajamas on now, we can have a dance party to one song before bed.”
Picking out pajamas is a fight, too. “No, you can’t wear your Santa pajamas. No, it’s not because they have Santa on them, but because they’re fleece and it’s 80 degrees tonight.”
Yes, if I had put these away months ago we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
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Pajamas are finally on, and a dance party should be underway, but we can’t agree on a song. It’s between “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry and “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” from Moana 2. There is a wide variety of music played in this house.
After some bribing, we agree on “You Never Can Tell.” We dance. I brush their teeth. It’s story time!
Reminders are given before and during story time that we are sitting and listening quietly. There should be no talking, no touching, no moving (or jumping) around. It is time to wind down, though they are still pretty wound up. (Maybe a dance party wasn’t a good idea.)
It takes 20 minutes to read two 5-minute stories. We say some prayers. They are taught (for the millionth time) that you do not pray for someone (say, your sister) to be less annoying tomorrow, but that God will give you more patience.
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They lie down. They sit up. They quiet down. They start talking. “That’s it! It is bedtime. I will only stay in here if you are lying down and going to sleep.”
They want their backs scratched. I’m not doing it right. Now I’ve got it. Now they don’t want me to scratch their backs anymore. A few more minutes, and they’re out.
The fights remembered while gazing at their angelic, sleeping faces are already being transformed into sweet memories. A long day now suddenly feels so short, and the brief time I have to share with them overwhelms my consciousness.
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I wonder if this is how the Lord looks at us at the end of our lives. Though we struggled with him for so long, fighting him along the way, when we finally lay down our heads and rest in his love, will we be an eternal delight to Our Father in Heaven?
These thoughts warm my soul and strengthen my spirits until my eyes close and I, too, am asleep. Before I know it, I am awake. Another day of craziness on our way to paradise.
