bedtime

For obvious reasons bedtime is one of my favorite parts of the day. I love the noise of my kids and I love playing with them throughout the day. But there is something magical about 8:00 for me. I love the peace that comes after the kids are in bed and that I can actually go to the bathroom without someone banging on the door. But...my favorite part of bedtime is the bedtime routine. I love watching my girls play in the tub. They splash and laugh and the dirt gradually falls from their little bodies. Cameron is too big for tubs now and he takes showers. Funny though it seems that those showers always somehow turn into a bath anyway. He still loves the foaming soap that I spray all over him. He still likes to put the alphabet letters on the wall of the shower. I love the smell of clean little babies covered in Johnson's baby lotion. I love soft clean pajamas and freshly combed hair and tiny brushed teeth. We say our prayers and then snuggle up in a chair to read stories and sing songs. (I take the girls and Dave takes Cameron. Cameron doesn't love my stories so he prefers Dad to put him to bed with stories of Jake the Crab). Then these clean little bodies crawl into bed and I tuck them in with a kiss. Before I go to bed I always check on them and re-tuck them in. There is something so soothing and peaceful about a sleeping child. Well...last night as I was singing songs to the girls Lauryn totally melted my heart. I was singing 'I am a child of God' when on the last verse I realized that she was singing along. She wasn't singing all the words but she would sing the last word of every phrase. It was so sweet that I had to sing it again. I then realized that Clara was clapping for her. It was such a tender little Mom moment. I love those. I also love that the first song my kids learn is I am a child of God. I hope the words of this primary song will ring in their heads all throughout their lives.