Strangely, kids have this amazing attachment to rituals. Anderson is no different. These quirkly little habits are testament to how much their little brains process and remember.
The ritual of putting this little boy to sleep. I cherish this time with him. It’s my quiet time with him. We usually start by waving g’bye to daddy and GM. He’s now knows how to give kisses. (For a while when we say “kiss, kiss” he would turn his cheek and wait for a kiss from you. I think this little trick he picked up from me, cause I do that to Aaron all the time. )
We then go upstairs to brush our teeth. He often has the toothbrush in his mouth and then will switch off to get a sip of milk and then switch back to the toothbrush. Almost always, he will ask for a refill on the paste. Some berry tasting concoction that he likes sucking on.
We then trod over to his room and close the door. There is some combination of the following rituals along with his silly little laughs:
- Turning on the flashlight and letting him shine it across the room
- Singing “ABC’s” and “Twinkle, Twinkle”
- Saying “goodnight” thumb
- Trot Trot to Boston
- Ten Second Tidy & Clockstretch (which is from his The Comfy Couch show that he watches during the day)
- Airplane with his milk. Where I lift him up and then he puts the milk on the window ledge
- Reading Maisy or Bubbles, Bubbles or Nighty Nite
He has a fascination with opening and closing drawers (esp in the kitchen). He puts his milk in his dresser and then closes the door. Or he will put his books or the flashlight there. It’s like his little hiding spot.
When its time for bed, he loves to snuggle next to me. He gets mad if I have my hands under my head; he moves my arms until he can crawl into his proclaimed spot. He put his little feet in between my legs as though I have his feet trapped. His little head on my right arm and he’s nestled in my arms and I sing, usually switching between ABC or Twinkle Twinkle.
And I wonder, how long will I have this moment. There will come a day when he’s too big for me to hold and sing to, or when “Twinkle, Twinkle” isn’t part of any nightly ritual. But that day hasn’t come yet, and I’m grateful.
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