Tonight was like every other night. Before going to bed myself I went in to check on each of the kids. Shea is kind of a thrasher so I never really know what position I will find her in. Tonight it was one leg off the bed and the rest of her so close to the edge that the next time the forced hot air triggered she might havel been blown onto the floor (if I wasn’t about to save her that is). As I began moving her back under her covers I found that the ONE book she was allowed to bring into her bed with her had somehow reproduced into about fourteen books. Strange how that can happen. I’m sure she didn’t get out of bed since I asked her not to. Riiiiggggghhht.  I removed the books and the naked doll which I had to pry out from underneath her – although once I moved the doll Shea was able to actually fit in the bed again. I adjusted her, put the covers back over her and kissed her on the cheek as she aggressively rubbed her face, scratched her head and wiped her nose in an effort to wake up and not wake up all at the same time. I found as I backed away to check on Kate my lips were very wet and after looking back down at Shea I recognized the glistening mass of drool that ran from the corner of her mouth to her ear. I heebed and smiled at the same time as I wiped it off. Shea shoved her thumb back in her mouth and pacified herself as she has since birth.

Kate,  sleeping directly above Shea, sleeps more like me. For lack of a better term I refer to the position as casket sleeping. Lay on your back, fold your hands across your stomach, and fall asleep. In the morning you are in the same exact position. Although I can’t see Kate too well since she has created pillow walls to secure her privacy since she has to share a room, I do climb up on Shea’s bed to peek over the edge at her. I typically cover her feet and give her hand what we affectionately call a squeezie squeeze. Even with that interaction she barely moves.

Reilly, in his own room, around the corner is a straight shot. I often stand in the doorway in awe of just how much he seems to have grown during the day and how old he looks in his big boy bed with his mature color pattern in his room. Of course just inches from his head is the much despised Nintendo DS-I and obviously since LEGO Batman is still on the screen Reilly snuck in a few minutes of playing before falling asleep. I was tempted to close the lid or power it down but it’s not really worth the sadness if I do and the reinforced message from him that I don’t understand how I ruined it all because he has to start a level all over again. Soooooo, instead I went over kissed him on the cheek gently, stared one more time as though the growth had already begun again then headed to my room to set the alarm and climb into my own bed.

Every night is the same, but different. I feel like it’s a chance to see what another day has given me and how another day has taken from my past. Giving kisses has become part of my ritual to feel that everything is ok before I go to bed. Should it always be this simple. On to my last kiss….Shad… now I’ll call it a night.