One More, Mama

I love music, I grew up with music, which included singing a round of Dona Nobis Pachem every evening while doing dishes, and as soon as my Nur and TT arrived, music became a constant in our lives.  As the kids have gotten older, music and the songs we sing has evolved quite a bit.  I used to sing each child two to three songs before bed, and somehow that has evolved.  They both have their favorites and our routines, and the list of what I sing my kiddos before bed keeps growing.

Tonight was just another bedtime.  The kids go to bed at 8pm, and I have a very guilty pleasure on at 8pm on Monday nights.  (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, I know, right?) And at times, I want to rush the routine. You know, because I have total nonsense to watch on the TV. Our night time ritual involves brushing Nur and TT's teeth before bed.  Then my little Nur stands on the bathroom counter, and says, "Away in a Manager Mama?" I sing Away in a Manager, and then he asks, "Forever?"

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

My baby you'll be.

"Jesus Loves me?"  "Goodnight?"

Goodnight, my someone,
Goodnight, my love,
Sleep tight, my someone,
Sleep tight, my love,
Our star is shining it's brightest light
For goodnight, my love, for goodnight.

Nur then looks at me with his big brown eyes, and says, "Ok.  Goodnight Mama. I love you."  Every night.  I then kiss on my little man and T takes him to his room where they have a ritual of their own. 

Then it is TT's time.  I alligator wrestle her to get a diaper on (if you've never wrestled an alligator, I volunteer you to try on my daughter) She then starts her stalling tactics.  "I need to say goodnight to baba." "I need a drink of water."  Then finally, it is time for her songs.  Her list of must sings before bed keeps growing, and growing, and growing.  First, she always asks me to sing, "You are my Sunshine."  Verses one and two. . . naturally.  This is our song.  Anytime it comes on our internet radio, TT will drop everything to run to me yelling, "our song" and embrace me. After that, it is "Goodnight."  (see above) She then asks for "When at night" which is from Hansel and Gretel.

When at night I go to sleep

fourteen angels watch do they keep

Two to whom is given

to guide my steps and soul to heaven

"Jesus loves the little children, mama" "Jesus loves me?" "God is so good?" And my new favorite that TT can't go to bed without hearing, "Take me out to the ball game, mama."  I then put her in her crib and say goodnight, and always, without fail, as I open the door, she has just one more request. 

Some evenings, the bedtime routine goes on for 30 minutes.  Last night as I was holding TT and singing her these songs, I had a realization that someday, she'll want nothing to do with my song, or letting me rock her to bed every night.  Someday, Nur will roll his eyes as I break out into song, and I have no doubt that he'll think I'm super uncool.  Last night as I rubbed TT's back, and smelled her curls against my face, and felt her chest moving in and out, I realized I want to slow time down, not speed it up.  Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be there when I'm done with the bedtime routine.  My kids are at an age where all they crave is more of me.  Sure, that sometimes means I sing the same song 25 times a day.  But I will miss this someday.  Someday, I'll look back at when my kids were 2 and 3, and I'll want so badly to step back in time. 

I hope I remember how precious this time is everytime one of my kiddos asks for just one more.