The past few nights we've put Evie and William to bed around the same time, in the same room, which means they sing and chat and play. Evie especially loves to lie (or sit) in her bed and sing. Sometimes she'll tussle Williams hair if I've wrapped him up tight in his blanket "like a baby, when William was small," he says. (Like a burrito, I say.) Sometimes they'll even climb into each other's beds.
For a while I tried to put a stop to the playing, insisting they lay down and sleep. A couple days ago I was too lazy to go back in, so Mirjam and I just sat there on the couch watching Biggest Loser or something.
Around 8:30 or 9:00 I noticed they were both quiet. I remembered how I would sometimes chat with my brother at night when we were little and shared a room, or on campouts with the other boys in the tent. After a while the conversation would naturally die down and taper off into silence.
So now we've sort of adapted, too. We put the kids to bed around 7:00 p.m., and I let them chat and sing for a while, with the Hello Kitty night-light still glowing. I might go in if it gets too rowdy, but usually I'll just check in around 8:00 to turn the night-light off, give them another kiss on the head, pack them up tight again in their blankets, and let them doze off naturally.
Last night I came home around 9:30 p.m. to find William and Evie snuggled together in her crib. It was so cute -- absolutely adorable to see them together, gently breathing in and out, dreaming about Valentine's candies and Star Wars Legos. They love playing together so much during the day, and especially so when they have to go to bed.
We usually leave the crib's retractable fourth side down so Evie can climb in and out more easily, but it had been pulled up all the way. Williams hand hung between the slats, Evie was facing the other way, two or three stuffed animals had joined them, blankets of many shapes and sizes and colors were drawn across them, or sometimes not, and they had nabbed my big pillow from off my bed for the two of them to share.
While they slept I lowered the side of the crib down again, gently nudging William and jiggering the far corner so it would move. I sorted the blankets out, laid William in his own little bed, on his own red square pillow, and covered him with three or four of the blankets. I set the stuffed animals back in their blue box, retrieved my pillow for myself again (noticing some drool on one spot), and wrapped Evie up in another three or four blankets.
I stroked their hair, kissed them good-night again, and gently closed the door.
Jon
6 hours ago
