Putting the kids to bed - Fall 2007

Posting this per Lindy's request...I loved writing it.

Stephen and I played a kissing game…he would start to kiss me on the cheek then turn his head and kiss me right in the neck! Funnier still, I was surprised and tickled every time. When I told him “one last kiss”, he gave it up then said he was about to cry. Stephen is a very emotional being. He can genuinely laugh and cry, be happy and sad, at the same time. I told him he had nothing to be sad about; we’re together and I loved him so much I would hold him as close as I could. “Remember”, I said. “We’re stuck together." He created this phrase a couple of years ago at bedtime when he told me he wished we could be stuck together all the time. My heart is still melting. He said “Yeah, we’re stuck together. Not you and Jane!” “No”, I said. “It’s not the same.” “Not like Dad.” “Nope. Not like you and me.” “Mom, we’re like peanut butter and jelly!” Did my heart just explode? “Yes, exactly! Wow, Stephen! What a blessing. That’s the best…peanut butter and jelly!” I moved towards the CD player, trying to hide my tears. “And mom?" “What, buddy?” “God is the bread!” Hello, tears. “Yes, baby. God is the bread.”

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Jane talks before sleep. She talks, she reads, then she thinks. Can’t go to sleep without it. Tonight the discussion was about “webkins”, which, I think, is an interactive internet stuffed animal from her description. All, yes all, of her friends have one…or seven. Jane has decided that she will use part of her allowance to buy one, that is, as soon as we pay her for the last six weeks! So, as most nights, there she is sitting up on her bed. Pajamas, robe, fluffy slippers, water (with four ice cubes and a straw), books, bear, and freshly brushed hair tucked behind the ears. Also in hand are the familiar notebook and pen illustrating tonight’s topic of discussion: webkins. I listen in detail to the cost, responsibilities, and rewards of webkins. Then she recites the many choices of animals there are. The selections of furniture, home décor, and entertainment she will set up online for the webkins are quite shocking. I can’t help but to go into “uh-huh” mode and wait for her to use up all her words for the day. I ward off the temptation to say, “Chill out! It’s just a toy! Go to sleep!” But then…there it is. That light in her eyes. It’s been there since the moment she was born! She is…thinking. I muse on this while the webkins presentation continues. She’s so young for this one area to be so much stronger than the others: organizing, planning, preparation, details, research! Who knows what she could do when she grows up? The possibilities are endless! We need more people like this in the world. The planning of my daughter’s future was interrupted by “Hey mom, what other furniture do you think it should have in its house?" “I have no idea”, I stated honestly. The grin spread across my face. She’s used to it. “Whaat?” “Nothing. I just like how you think through things like this. Remember the list you made before you became a Christian?" Now that was an experience, and yet, I’ll save it for another time. Needless to say, there was a list…with boxes out to the side to check off…with “Become A Christian” at the bottom of the list. She says, “Yeah. I know. I just like to be prepared for stuff. Like when I’m starting a project or when I became a Christian or when I need to make a plan or…" Great, she’s starting another list here. Jane interrupts herself to say, “You know what mom?" “What, sweetie?” “I just like to look before I leap.” Okay, I’ve never heard her say that before. And when she busts out with new phrases I’m prone to a giggle. Take a deep breath… “Really? Where did you hear that expression?” Embarrassed smile. “I don’t know. I just heard it some place and I thought ‘That’s what I’m like’. Don’t you think so?” “Absolutely.” And that is the end of this day.