Bedtime Stories

Yesterday we had our first 1/2 day, followed by a McDonalds lunch and a nap. :) Today the boys are in school all day while the Kindergartner (I am thinking of changing her name to some variation of the word "mule" after the report I got from the Kindergarten teacher. Any suggestions?) has the day off. I am really looking forward to tomorrow because I was thrilled by how quiet the house was yesterday. I am not a woman who fears silence. In fact, I crave it! ...but I guess that's no surprise with 4 kids, 2 parents, a dog and a cat. :)

So right now I am sitting with the little man while he dozes off to dreamland. I have to say, as crazy as our life can get, it is still one of my favorite things to do: watch them drift off. I always sit in the room with the little ones and wait... Sure, there are plenty of more productive things to do, but none more important to me. It is such a sweet, intimate thing to be with someone at that moment...*sigh*. And it, like so many of the moments we parents get, is fleeting. My 10 year old would throw shoes at me if I told him I wanted to sit in the room with him while he fell asleep. My 8 year old would giggle wildly! Once in a great while, the 4 year old will still curl up with me (especially if daddy is out late for some reason). But, usually it is just me and the baby. Once he drifts off, that's when I really get down to business! It is a race against time to get all the work done, or sometimes try to create a quiet cocoon for that short time when I can sit alone and hear the dust bunnies roll.

So lately I have discovered the coolest thing ever. Do you feel like you read the same books over and over and over again? Well, youtube has some great semi-animated classics you can put on and give yourself a little break. Our faves are Goodnight Moon, read by Susan Sarandon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar read by some British dude. They are just like reading the book with just a touch of animation. He LOVES them! So when he is creeping around the crib like the woman from the Yellow Wallpaper, I can put that on (while he is still in there, mind you!) to settle him down and get him ready for the big moment. 3-2-1 ...drift-off!