9, 5, and recently a big 3 yr old who is just now letting mama call her a BIG girl instead of correcting me "No. I'm a baaabbbyyyy." Three very different ages. Three very different hearts, passions, and personalities. It's quite the miracle watching you each grow up and into your own. And as you grow, this mama grows too. There is something about being a parent that brings out the dali lama side in you as well as the OTHER side. Don't know what I'm talking about? Try putting three little ones to bed at the same time after 500079786756725786556 questions and see if you have any of your hair left.
Even if you have a bed time routine down pat, it's what lies behind the scenes that to someone on the outside might seem a little schizophrenic. Like knowing that Ruby needs her 2 panda blankies, tattoo blanky, green blanky and her special stash of miscellaneous keepsakes and photos under her pillow. She doesn't know that I know but mamas always know. Eyes in the back of our heads right? Or Jasmine's Owl blanky , yo gabba blanky, strawberry sara mermaid, sofia mermaid, orange horse, bunny clover and 302 other stuffed animals that she needs in her bed along with her special pillow. It's knowing that the littlest girls will want the dress pjs instead of the many footed pjs and matching sets they may have to choose from. It's knowing that Nevaeh will always ask to stay up later to read on her own and know the exact time to turn out her lights and wake up in the morning and knowing that she will do both down to the exact second. It's knowing that Jasmine needs the ninja turtle toothpaste because the big girls toothpaste is too "spicy" or that Ruby gets her second wind RIGHT before bed time. Or how she will say that she doesn't need to go potty but then two minutes later it sounds like niagra falls. It's knowing that Nevaeh will ask for the right side of her shoulder tickled as long as possible opposed to her left because it's 'harder for her to reach on her own'. It's knowing how they love their bedtime songs and the order that they are sung. It's how when I go to leave the room after this seemingly seamless routine that the explosion of questions emerge. Another song? What are we doing tomorrow? Where is that thing? You know mommy that thing? The elusive thing that I need that I am crying about and just now decided I need? Because it's bed time. Oh and I'm hungry. Again.
