Music that gentlier on the spirit lies, Than tired eyelids upon tired eyes. -Alfred Lord Tennyson
I realize I’m probably barking up the wrong tree by saying winter in Missouri sucks but I’m complaining anyway. Particularly this winter. It is frozen solid. What’s next? Plagues? Locusts? And I curse every one of you morons out there today with your BALD tires. Oh, and if you’re going to hit me…don’t just threaten to slide into me….hit me hard enough to total the van please! GAH!
Yes, I realize it’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t even go there.
*Sigh.* I do have some warm fuzzies I want to add to my little diary. So twenty years from now I might remember some of the wonderfulness of my two favorite cupids. Some of my best time with my girls is the quiet time after the homework and piano practice and baths and teeth-brushing and lunch-making and last minute drink-getting, blankie-finding, jumping-on bed chaos that defines our busy evenings. Lately, my chance to share that time with them has been almost cut in half. So even on the days when I just don’t have anything left I make sure I dig deep and find it. And it paid off the other night and I don’t want to forget.
Once the lights are out and the girls are all cozied up in their beds I spend a few minutes with each little one tickling their back or playing with their hair and just giving them a few minutes to tell me what’s on their mind. (And I’m a little embarrassed to say that a lot of the time it’s that I have diet coke breath!) Ever since they were babies I’ve always played music for them at bedtime and naptimes. When they were tiny it was several different genres of lullabies but now that they’re older, believe it or not, it’s Delilah (and her love songs…. “Love someone toniiiiight”) playing in the background. And being a band geek, I try to point out the different instruments I hear within the music when were having a rare quiet moment.
Over the last few weeks they’ve been sharing a room so it’s been more of a group conversation. My oldest is quiet and still once she’s settled and this night I said goodnight to her first as she went through her usual routine of burying herself under the blanket and comforter and covering her head with just her face peeking out.
I assumed she had already fallen asleep.
Kate is the opposite and fidgets and talks to herself and kicks all her covers off before she even goes to sleep. So I was getting her settled and no one had said anything for a few minutes and I was dozing and listening to the music (I wish now I could remember which song was playing) and very quietly I hear Morgan whisper from the darkness,
“Mommy, do you hear the piano?”
That’s my girl.
Yes, I realize it’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t even go there.
*Sigh.* I do have some warm fuzzies I want to add to my little diary. So twenty years from now I might remember some of the wonderfulness of my two favorite cupids. Some of my best time with my girls is the quiet time after the homework and piano practice and baths and teeth-brushing and lunch-making and last minute drink-getting, blankie-finding, jumping-on bed chaos that defines our busy evenings. Lately, my chance to share that time with them has been almost cut in half. So even on the days when I just don’t have anything left I make sure I dig deep and find it. And it paid off the other night and I don’t want to forget.
Once the lights are out and the girls are all cozied up in their beds I spend a few minutes with each little one tickling their back or playing with their hair and just giving them a few minutes to tell me what’s on their mind. (And I’m a little embarrassed to say that a lot of the time it’s that I have diet coke breath!) Ever since they were babies I’ve always played music for them at bedtime and naptimes. When they were tiny it was several different genres of lullabies but now that they’re older, believe it or not, it’s Delilah (and her love songs…. “Love someone toniiiiight”) playing in the background. And being a band geek, I try to point out the different instruments I hear within the music when were having a rare quiet moment.
Over the last few weeks they’ve been sharing a room so it’s been more of a group conversation. My oldest is quiet and still once she’s settled and this night I said goodnight to her first as she went through her usual routine of burying herself under the blanket and comforter and covering her head with just her face peeking out.
I assumed she had already fallen asleep.
Kate is the opposite and fidgets and talks to herself and kicks all her covers off before she even goes to sleep. So I was getting her settled and no one had said anything for a few minutes and I was dozing and listening to the music (I wish now I could remember which song was playing) and very quietly I hear Morgan whisper from the darkness,
“Mommy, do you hear the piano?”
That’s my girl.
posted by mimikatemom at
10:53 AM
5 Comments:
That put a smile on my face.
Mrs. Westberg used to play the same "what instruments do you hear" game with us. She was always so sweet when she tucked me in at night too.
i have very fond memories with my mom at bedtime. at night once all 6 of us were tucked in she would sit in a rocking chair in the hall and read to all of us. such a great memory. you are lucky to have this time with your girls and i am sure they will remember these sweet times as well.
This reminds me that even though I am with them all day, I should go back to taking those extra few minutes to sit in the darkness and be still with them.
Thank you, Erin.
P.S. Thank you, also, for mentioning the whole drink-getting, jumping-on-the-bed chaos. We have that, too!! What a relief that it's not just us. I don't think there is ANYTHING I can do to get them to NOT jump on the bed. Is there??
My first musical memory is of my mom singing "Tea for Two." I think she was washing my hair in the kitchen sink.
When we were kids, my little brother and I would listen to Ravel's Bolero, known for its creative orchestration, in bed. We would try to identify the instruments. It was a challenge -- there are parts in that piece where I'm still not sure what's playing!
I'm lucky that Andy and I had a pretty good relationship as kids, often involving music. Today we still play together regularly, and it's always a blast.
What happened? New job? Night job? Night school? Why don't you get to see them as much?
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