bedtime songs

since the boys were toddlers,
i've been singing bedtime songs to them.

when they were babies, the songs were simple -
twinkle twinkle little star and you are my sunshine were their favorites.
as they grew, the songs progressed to ones they heard in
movies and at home or in the car {basically what c and i listen to}. 

these days, bedtimes songs are pretty rare.
the boys bury themselves in a book for a good hour until lights out.
a request for a backrub {or a massage in finn's case}, might follow.

last night, after the 'lights out in 5 minutes' announcement, 
finn asked if i'd sing him a bedtime song. 
i smiled and thought, he's not that grown up yet. *wink*

i asked what he wanted to hear and he said a song from pete's dragon.
i thought about it for a minute and chose it's not easy.  for all the children
of the 70s and 80s, this song may bring back happy memories:

finn laid in bed smiling and humming along.
i was happy he remembered this song as it has been a
few years since he's seen the movie.
it was a favorite of mine as a little girl. 
so much that in my early 20s i purchased the sheet music
for several of the songs.

as i started to walk out of their bedroom,
scout said :i like that song" and finn followed with we should
watch the movie again because scout probably doesn't remember it.

i smiled and replied "that's a great idea,
maybe we watch it one evening grandma is here.
{she flies in tomorrow}

they loved the idea,
and if my memory serves me well,
i think grandma will too.  she was a fan
of the music in this sweet disney musical too. 

~ oh goodness.  there's so much to post on friends.
i'm so far behind. gma flies in tomorrow from northern ca,
school ends tomorrow, and there's a lot of things to do to prepare
for summer.  it's a busy time! 

bedtime bliss

there was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep.
- ralph waldo emerson

wake time is wonderful with my children, but when bedtime hits (7:30pm for scout, 8pm for finn),
and my house is quiet, it too is wonderful. sometimes c and i will get on our laptops side by side at the kitchen table to check email or to finish up a work project. some nights we both read or watch a movie together. the important thing is the night belongs to us.

i learned early on the importance of routine and that it's not a crazy obsessive mom thing like i thought
pre-kids. it's true - kids really do thrive on routine. sure there are times when your travelling or they are sick and the routine goes out the window but once you have one in place, life is easier. after a first year of rough nights with finn, we learned the importance of a bedtime routine and did things differently with scout.

for more than a year now, scout nearly jumps into his crib every night. it doesn't matter who's watching him, as long as they stick to 'the routine' and his blanket and binkie are in hand, they have it made. he's easy and the night is theirs. here's a clip of a scout's routine (minus the bedtime story)



 

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i'm reading a book called the middle place by kelly corrigan. it is my book/wine club's selection of the month. i am really enjoying it. it's a rollercoaster of a book. i'll laugh on one page and be in tears the next.
take two minutes to listen to this clip at the bottom of the page. the voice is the author, kelly, reading the introduction to her book.

let me warn you, it might make you want to run out and purchase it. she just has a way with words and storytelling. i'd offer my copy when i'm done, but i've promised it to my mom.