Tuck me in..

Right before I go to bed, I tuck my girls in..

I pull up their covers.
I put them back onto their pillows.
I gently give them a kiss.

First, I go check in on the baby. I make sure her blankets are covering her just below her chest. I place the pacifier close to her hand should she feel the need to find it during the night. I gently place my hand on her tummy to feel the rise and fall of her breath. I love knowing that she is safe and sound. She rarely stirs when I enter her room, she has been sleeping quite soundly for a few days now, it is a good thing. After, a few moments and staring at her sleeping so peacefully, I make my way to the big girls.

I tiptoe in their room and go to Ava first. She is usually squarely centered on her pillow with the covers pulled up under her chin. She is surronded by her favorite array of stuffed toys and dolls, so many that I wonder if she is sharing their bed or they hers? I gently tuck the covers around her, removing the books from beneath the covers that were read for bedtime. When I kiss her, she never makes a sound or a move. She is a contented sleeper. She sleeps like her daddy. Like a hibernating bear.

I go to Olivia last. She stirs as soon as she hears the floor creek. She is the world's lightest sleeper. Olivia is usually sprawled across the bed sideways, on top of the covers with the pillow on the floor. As I put her back on the pillow and pull the covers up, she will stretch her arms out to me, with her eyes half open. She is never fully awake. When I bend down to give her a kiss she rolls to her side and hugs her Scruffy tight.

As I creep out of their room, I think about the day, about the times when I should of not been so short tempered with them, maybe I should have let them help with dinner even though it would have made it harder for me. But I also remember the best parts of the day, their happy little faces when they see me picking them up from school. Their joy when they get Maeve to laugh outloud at their silly songs.

This is my very favorite time of the day. And my second favorite is when they come into my room when the sun is up to greet me with their smiles.