Bedtime is a little crazy around here. It's rather like trying to keep nineteen jumping beans in the bottle at one time so you can put the lid on it before they all pop out. Teeth must be brushed, then snack must be eaten (because we forgot to eat it first), then teeth again. The Dad must be tucked in - several times - and this involves snuggling. Sometimes, pajamas just don't fit right and must be exchanged for others. Sometimes, baths are involved. Stories must be read. Drinks must be placed just so on the dresser (Heaven forbid a child should wake up in the middle of the night and have to go get water!), and the list could go on and on. So I rush to get them settled down because at the end of all this melee, I get to relax!
But, I have noticed that - if I don't rush her - the straight-haired girl will open up and talk about her thoughts and the things that are so very important in her world. Sometimes those fleeting glimpses inside her head take place at bedtime, so I overlook the stalling tactics for the pleasure of her company.
Tonight, for instance. I was reminded of what it is like to be nine: to see the world from four feet, six inches. It's a little scary down there. Things seem a little uncertain and a bit overwhelming when you're nine. Life is starting to get a little complicated in a nine-year-old way.
I'd almost forgotten.
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