It has been our ritual every night for the last 5 years to put our kids to bed with stories and songs and prayers. AJ, our son, is the one who really clings to the tradition. Every night he asks me when it’s time to go to bed if I”ll “Pway, and tell me stowies, and sing me songs?” It’s like he knows that one day he’s going to outgrow it and the “magical” time with mom and dad is over. Usually, it’s his daddy that he wants the stories and songs from while mom just tickles or holds Abby. It’s such a precious, special time with our two youngest ones…I sometimes feel guilty that Katie is missing out on it (she has deemed herself too old at nine for any more stories or songs) but then her voice rings out from the other end of the hall as dad is telling a story he’s told AJ a gajillion times “Daddy, you forgot the part where the cat jumped up on the farmer’s head!” and I know she’s still involved in her own way.
Abby fell asleep in my chair tonight, so it was just AJ that got the prayers, stories and songs. Sometimes I get tired of thinking up stories to tell them, but I realize it’s only for a short time that we will have this family tradition…so I just retell Bible stories and the classics I grew up with. Maybe we’ll have another 5 years of this…I’m going to miss my babies when they are too old to fall asleep in my chair and too old to remember the times they asked me to tell them stories and sing them songs…
Abby fell asleep in my chair tonight, so it was just AJ that got the prayers, stories and songs. Sometimes I get tired of thinking up stories to tell them, but I realize it’s only for a short time that we will have this family tradition…so I just retell Bible stories and the classics I grew up with. Maybe we’ll have another 5 years of this…I’m going to miss my babies when they are too old to fall asleep in my chair and too old to remember the times they asked me to tell them stories and sing them songs…