One night last month I was putting the boys to bed solo since Tim had left me to go to some fancy-shmancy golf tournament called The Masters. Yeah. Whatever.
😉
Anyway, G had kind of a rough night of not being able to calm down AT ALL and NOT listening to me and well, that just really stinks, and especially so when you are “single parenting”. So, I told him that we would read a couple of books and then he would go to bed right after.
In other words: I’d had enough.
He was calm, cool and collected while we read but then his inner Chucky came out again AND he did not, under any circumstances want to go to bed without his brother in the room. And he was riled up like you would not believe. None of it was conducive to bedtime. At ALL.
He cried and wailed for a few minutes and then it was bedtime for the oldest anyway so we made our way back to their room for the official tucking-in business.
G said to me, “Mom, I just want you to snuggle me.”
It had been a while.
And for some reason I have a major soft spot for this child. No matter what he does.
Gee, maybe that’s why he acts that way. {lightbulb moment}
So I snuggled in next to him, finding a spot among the bazillion blankets, pillows and stuffies. And I resigned myself to the fact that I was there until he drifted off. And it did feel nice to be lying next to him, relaxing my body.
But he moved and shifted and looked up at me and it took several minutes before he could quiet himself and calm his little boy self.
As I lay there I thought of how we used to have this routine at bedtime where after prayers he would stand up and I would face him at the side edge of his bed and he would say, “10 hugs and 10 kisses!” And I would wrap my arms around him and move my arms back and forth so that I “hugged” him 10 times and then put 10 tiny kisses on his little boy lips, “smack, smack, smack….”
But we do not do that anymore. Somehow we got out of the habit and I missed when we stopped.
And even though there were nights when I would roll my eyes at the 10 kisses that easily turned into 15, now I was longing for them and even wishing our sweet little routine could return.
So I turned my head to meet his that was so close already and gently placed 10 (or maybe 15) kisses right onto his sweet smelling hair as his little snores began. And I drifted off for a bit myself, committing all the hugs and kisses to my memory as best that I truly could…
Oh so sweet, glad you had those moments (the good ones, not the ones where he wouldn’t sleep). I’m not looking forward to the days when all of my kids are too old for cuddles.
Awwww. That’s a totally awesome bedtime routine. xo
It’s funny how those little routines get forgotten,but they are so nice to recall. Such a sweet moment. 🙂
My little guy is just a month older than yours. I’m so glad he still wants snuggles every night, but I know those days are numbered. 🙁
We are also going through the major temper-tantrum/not listening/talking back stage. He skipped the ‘terrible twos’ but just before he turned five he started these episodes that I call his ‘evil twin’ coming out. Thankfully these seem to be decreasing in frequency and length, and he only does this to us – at school and sports he is very polite to his teachers and coaches. We’re trying to pinpoint what the trigger is for these, tiredness? hungry? but haven’t had any luck yet.
Something about those little boys. I might have a soft spot for mine too…
I have lived through that exact scene – the frustration, the lightbulb, the wiggles, the gratitude. So glad we still get those moments.
I know how rough doing bed time on your own is, but this makes me think I should savor those sometimes tedious bedtime routines while we still have them.
Love those moments, when we just stop and cuddle and ease our littles into bedtime. Well done, mama!
So sweet. I hate it when a bed time routine goes away and I don’t really notice it. And although there are some nights when I am like, “I don’t want to lay down with you,, you need to learn to fall asleep on your own…” it’s precious, precious time.
we come and go from bedtime routines as well. we get into a habit of reading or sharing stories and then…i don’t know what happens. it becomes more hurried and it’s just go to bed already! lovely little moment the two of you got to share. 🙂
Aw! 10 kisses and 10 hugs. I’m glad you were able to sneak them in, even if it did involve a crazy, sleep-resisting evening.
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Oh so stinking sweet. It’s like they know when we need them to take us back to that moment when they were littler…just a little refresh!
Good article. I am dealing with a few of these issues as well.
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So so sweet. I think, sometimes, they just need us. And yeah, we need them, too. 🙂