"Night, Night"

Around 8:30 every night we start Kaden's bedtime ritual

"get your jammies on, go brush your teeth"

So he does, then he watches cartoons for a few minutes.

By 9, its lights out

"Momma, come snuggle?"

So I climb into bed with him

Trying to find room amid this heap of blankets, pillows and stuffed animals

He always flips right over... so I can tickle his back

When he's had enough he turns over and wraps his little arm around my neck

and snuggles in close to my chest

and we talk

This is where we have our best talks

sometimes about the day we've  had, or we make plans for the weekend

sometimes I tell him stories, outlandish fairy tales or memories close to my heart

I tell him about his great-grammy "with the white hair" and how much I loved her

and his great-grandddad who watches over him from heaven

Occassionally we pray together

Then I tell him that its time for him to go to sleep

And without fail he always asks "just one more minute?"

So I stay for a minute longer, being ever so thankful that he still wants his momma

He will be 8 this year and I think the time when he doesn't is fast approaching

So I drink in all this love

and I imprint these special times on my heart

We give bear hugs, mountain hugs, mice hugs

Butterfly kisses and "cheeky snuggles"

"I love you all the way up to the moon, and all the way back down to the dirt"