A few extra minutes

It was another busy evening in our house – nothing too far out of the norm for a Wednesday, except that on top of the “normal” stuff, I also had clean the house and pack for myself and the kids to leave for Jacksonville tomorrow morning for the National Conference of the American Music Therapy Association. 

The kids and I were running errands this afternoon, got home around 5:30, Chris pulled in a few minutes after us, we went upstairs and ate dinner, got the kids bathed, sung to, read to and in bed by 7:00 so that Chris could leave for his 7:30 school meeting.

We have made it a habit of lying in the kids’ beds with them for a few minutes after we have finished the nighttime rigmarole routine, in order to help them calm down and turn their minds off enough that they can start to fall asleep, and then we slip out quietly.  When we don’t do this, they get up and start jumping on the bed, wrestling, stripping, etc. 

Anyways, usually when we lie down with them, they whisper or sing quietly to themselves, and we just listen until they either get too loud and we hush them, or until they fall asleep. 

While I was lying there tonight, I had one million things running through my head – “I need to finish laundry, get some outfits together for conference, pack my clothes, pack my toiletries – did I buy toothpaste?! - pack the car, get snacks together, remember everything that I packed," etc. etc.  I was totally stressing myself out, and was ready to just get up and get a move on with the list of things to do, but it felt really nice to lie down so I stayed for another minute.  And I am so glad that I did.

Amongst the kids chatter, wiggling, whispering and singing, something came out of Reagan’s mouth that I will never forget.  While lacing her fingers together and then releasing and repeating this act a few times, she said, “Open, shut them; open, shut them.”  And I thought she was just doing the little “Open Shut Them” song; but instead of shushing her like I was ready to do, I let her go.  And she continued, “God is great, God is good; Let us thank Him for our food.  Amen.”  And it was then that I realized she was reciting “open, shut them” to make praying hands.

I was floored.  In the midst of Chris and I trying to keep these kids alive, fed, bathed and obedient, we have never introduced them to a blessing at mealtime (insert: shame).  We just try to get the food on the table before the howling starts, and after I entertain 115 requests between the time dinner is “served” to the time the kids have everything they want/need (“Mommy, I want juice AND milk; I need a knife {why do you need a knife?!}; I want fruit; I want PANCAKES not WAFFLES; I want dessert; MY BABY DOLL NEEDS TO BE ON THE TABLE!!”), I am happy to just sit down and scarf my food quickly so that I can clean up the mess that is already in production.

But now that the kids are in Mother’s Morning Out 4 hours a week – that’s it, just 4 – my daughter comes home and is reciting a blessing like she has heard it her whole life.  So, I decided that instead of feeling guilty that we were not the ones that introduced this blessing to the kids, we will definitely be the ones to continue giving thanks for our meals at home every day.

I am so glad I stayed in their room for those extra minutes tonight. 

Our sweet Reags.