Happy Hour

Isn't the evening supposed to be the most difficult time of day for parents of young children? I guess this is often true for us in the early evening hours, between the time when daddy gets home from work and when we eat dinner. But then - it's happy time. We say the words, "Let's get ready for nigh-nigh!" and the girls perk up!

I used to ask my husband not to have wrestle-time right before bed but then I saw how happy my daughter was (the oldest, as far back as when she was 5 or 6 months old) when he would put her on the bed and step just outside the bedroom door saying "Here I come.. here I come!!" Her little arms and legs would go crazy as her face lit up. (Fabulous daddy bonding time.) Now that she's almost 2, she does more than just lie and wait with excited anticipation. It's her little sister's turn to try and bring her not-yet-mobile self over to where the action is, and to wriggle with joy when her daddy or sister come her way.

Then of course we need some calming time. Lately, since the girls now go to bed at the same time, we've gotten back into massage. It seems to have a calming effect on all four of us. (Although it'd be nice if the girls could give me a full massage sometimes! Maybe one day.) The little one is determined to crawl so she tends to be pretty squirmy but we can usually get through the legs and feet. The big one has come through and past her squirmy phase and now really enjoys the massage (although her feet are too ticklish for much touch), especially face and back. Some nights we'll meditate together for a few minutes.

At this point the girls are usually completely ready for bed - bedtimes stories with daddy for the big one and a final nursing for the little one.

Lights off.

Peace.

Good night.