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It has been a while since we had reading time before bed.  The kids share Add's bed most nights.  She asks Kade every night if he will sleep in her bed.  It is sweet.  When it is time to read I cozy in between them and we read and read.  Usually Kade will follow along and then chime in for a few pages.  They snuggle up and ask for more chapters.  I can hardly resist reading them more chapters b/c I'm so happy they like books.

Let me back up.  It was a long afternoon.  Add was in tears pretty much ever since she stepped off the bus.  She wanted to play with a friend but I couldn't get a hold of the Mom.  She wanted someone to play at our house so bad.  She was a mess.  Finally after dinner it was 7 PM.  Let's go read.  Just what she needed, snuggle time.  We read 3 chapters to finish up book 3 of Ivy and Bean.  Then half a chapter of Ramona the Brave (jeez the chapters are long in Ramona books!) and then 6 or 7 Shel Silverstein poems.  They love the Shel books.  

My heart is so full.  So happy that I finally listened to what they needed...ME.  We spent nearly an hour reading and laughing and just being with each other.  Kade asks every night if I will sleep with them too.  (Maybe he would be into the "family bed"?)  Since Ethan wasn't home yet, I said I would stay with them while they fell asleep.  It was like they were little babies all over again.  Like they just needed the warmth of their mama as much as I needed them to need me.  

I am grateful for small moments that make the crappy days better.

and yes, I was grateful to have my remote to click away while reading....