Every night, unless he is out of town, Jason and I are a tight team in the bedtime, tucking in the kids, routine. At this stage, Ryan wants me most times and I won’t lie when I say, I’m eating up every single, “I want Mommy!” moment I can get because I know at some point, it’s possible he won’t choose me. Em’s cool with whomever will read to her. I never was in drama, but being a lover of books and stories, especially good dialogue, and maybe a little dramatic in nature, I try to read aloud with a bit of expression…soooo, all that to say, this could be why Em chooses me to read to her most nights, and former engineer PhD, dad, to do the tucking in and praying part. We are a good team like that.
On the nights I do the tucking in and praying with Em, we lay our heads on the same pillow, because that’s just how we’ve always done it…and she still lets me. She’ll play with my hair (which I really can’t stand, but I’m soaking in time with my pre-teen, so I’ll take what I can get…) and ask me to tickle her arm or back or the palm of her hand. She tries to do the same to my arm or hand and that is where I draw the line. It makes me nauseous. Am I weird? It’s almost like frosty freezers or nails on a chalkboard…back rub or foot massage? Now we’re talking.
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| Here we are December of 2006, one of the nights I was home with Em while Dad was at the hospital with Noah…we’re sharing the same pillow, AND, Curious George is STILL part of the bedtime routine. |
Anyway, before we pray, I usually ask one of several questions, including:
- What were your Top Ten favorites of the day?
- What are 10 things for which you are grateful?
- Let’s share our Top Five of the day.
- Name 5 people you’d like to pray for tonight.
- If you could tell God “10 Thanks” for today, what would they be?
- Who is someone at school we could be praying for this week?
- Is there anything specific you’d like to talk to God about tonight?
- “Tank You for horses.”
- “Tank You for giraffes.”
- “Tank You for Daddy.”
- “Tank You for trains.”
- “Tank You for cars.”
- “Tank You for my cousins.”
- “Tank You for Yay-goes.” (Legos)
- “Tank You for mountains.”
- “Tank You for CARS.”
- “Tank You for my cousins.”
*Heidi is sharing over on her blog about thanks this morning, too.
*Heidi Jo is sharing here.
*Elizabeth is sharing on her blog.
Where are you writing down your thanks?
7 Responses
your teamwork sounds very familiar 😉 love it! what a great thing to ask of our kids every single day! how can we forget to be grateful if we are seeking it out? awesome-ness!
Heidi Jo, thanks! And yes, I’m so grateful for the team approach…thank God for engaged husbands/dads!
This is a sweet post.
Thanks, Renee! I just saw you do thankfulness posts on Monday’s, too! Love it! It’s a beautiful time to reflect on a weekend and the time spent counting our blessings.
when I heard that a thankfulness list was part of your bedtime routine with your kids I was smiling smiling smiling. why wait til thanksgiving to say it out loud? I also think those nacho libre voices are a precious way to remember good days with noah. must all be bitter/sweet but the humor of nacho helps to lighten up and focus on the sweet. just thought of something… can’t wait to meet your noah. perhaps we’ll live in the same neighborhood in heaven. 🙂
i’m late but thankful to have made it to writing at all. will need to go check out the other Heidi jo’s writing too. (such a lovely name she has!)
http://blog.ourcozycastle.com/?p=56
hj
YAY! Glad you took some time to write…heading that way…
it’s technically Tuesday but i’m still awake from Monday. 🙂 I posted my thanks.
http://blog.ourcozycastle.com/?p=61