Bedtime

Tonight I thought about how much I will miss having all four kids with me in every room I go and before bedtime. While the kids took a bath, I nursed Gentry. The three older ones were being silly and playing while we put on pajamas in Lauren's room and they jumped on the bed and played games for the next 50 minutes or so - laughing and jumping - while I cleaned up in my room. Gentry played on the floor and the kids were holding hands and all jumping on the bed together. I wanted to try and capture this moment for myself. Someday our bedtime ritual will be different - maybe even more complex (if that is possible) and I will long for the days when my four kids just played with one another and waited for me to guide them to bed.

I'll have to remind myself of this as well on most nights that I do the bedtime routine all by myself with four kids. I can't wait to be able to sit and read stories to them all and cuddle with each one. Considering I do bedtimes 98 per cent of the time by myself, I think I am going to miss the routines with little ones.

Temple Song

Lauren loves to be rocked before bedtime. Her favorite song request is the "Temple Song" (I love to see the temple) or "church song" (I am a child of God). I love singing/humming these tunes to her before putting her to bed. We are starting to expand our repertoire to telling stories, talking about our day and new church songs. She is so fun to sit and hold and rock with her bottle and blankie at night but even better when she wakes cheerfully in the morning. Most mornings she just waits in her crib for someone to come in and get her and then jumps up and smiles.