Just Write {72}

February 11, 2013

A whisper, Asher! Get back up there!

I tip-toe over to their doorway and look up at the top bunk. Asher opens one eye and quickly closes it again.

Caught.

Asher, don’t peek over the edge. Leave your brother alone so you don’t get in trouble. I half whisper half hiss this and then take a deep breath, trying not to get angry over bedtime stalling. There are much bigger things to need big breaths over, if I can only remember that.

I sit down again and listen to the dog snore for a minute, waiting for any more stalling or messing around from the boys’ room. Elsie starts to call out. Mama, Mama, Mama…

I hear one pacifier hit the wood floor and I wait to hear the other.

Nothing.

Quiet. Except for the snores from the dog, who has plopped herself down in the middle of the living room on Ryan’s  fluffy brown robe. I have no idea why it’s in the middle of the living room floor, but I’ll leave it there for the dog for now, since her favorite guy owns it and is gone for work this week.

Asher calls out again and tells me he’s scared. His eyes are big, shining in the light from the hallway. I tell him I’m right in the next room and remind him that I’ll keep the light on in the hall. He puts his hand on his chin and is obviously trying to think of The Next Stalling Tactic. Water. Water is next.

No, no more. I just gave you water. That’s it now, go to sleep. You’ll be so tired tomorrow if you don’t go to sleep. He asks for my hand and kisses it. I take a deep breath, blow a kiss and leave him and I know he’ll fall right to sleep now. I don’t know how I know, I just do.

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This is the 72nd installment of Just Write, an exercise in free writing your ordinary and extraordinary moments. {Please see the details here.} I would love to read your freely written words so join me and link up below. You can add the url of your post at any time. Just be sure it’s a link to your Just Write post, not to your main page, and please don’t link to posts that are not freely written in the spirit of capturing moments–you know, don’t link to how-to lists or sponsored posts. I want people to remember that this is about writing and not about traffic. Also, please link back to this post in your post so people know where to go if they’d like to join in. 

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{ 12 comments }

Jo@All Seven Seas February 11, 2013 at 10:29 pm

Lovely piece. (Even more lovely probably now that they’re all asleep.) Nothing like the bedtime routine to completely tire a mama out, eh?
(p.s. It’s me, Jo@Mylestones, but I shut down the old blog-a-roo last week and started writing a brand spanking new one. Lots of reasons why, none of them terribly interesting. But it’s still the old me, for reals. The proof is in my characteristic overuse of commas, dashes and parentheses).
Jo@All Seven Seas recently posted..Just tell me already {just write}

Jennifer Peterson February 11, 2013 at 10:38 pm

Awesome!!!
Jennifer Peterson recently posted..flying again

Kerstin February 11, 2013 at 11:00 pm

I wish I could tell you that stop when they get older, but my kids still use those tactics – and they are 11 and 15 ;)
Kerstin recently posted..January in Tweets

Jayna @ Yankee Drawl February 11, 2013 at 11:53 pm

Oh, the stalling. They get so good at it. I’m afraid for how well perfected the last kid is going to have it, after watching all the others for so long.
Jayna @ Yankee Drawl recently posted..not just yet

nicole February 12, 2013 at 11:33 am

The stalling. Some nights it puts me on edge so much. Other nights I indulge and kiss and bring water and whatever else. We know it is a gift to be so needed, but sometimes it is a heavy gift.
nicole recently posted..Just Write: Respite

Sharone February 12, 2013 at 4:39 pm

I like the things that you just know. They’re so sweet. The part about how there are bigger things to take deep breaths over? That’s exactly it, the thing I keep forgetting.

I love Just Write so. Thanks for you. xx
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Ann February 12, 2013 at 7:16 pm

Bedtime is the duality of frustration and preciousness.
Ann recently posted..Put down the soup and Listen To Your Mother

Kat February 12, 2013 at 8:19 pm

Oh yes. That all sounds VERY familiar. ;)
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Jen @ Martymom's Musings February 12, 2013 at 10:57 pm

Just wait until they’re teenagers and bedtime is later…we are in the middle of that…they are 15, 13, 11 and 4…basically the 4 year old goes to bed when the older ones do…and by then I am done. But as I sit here now and they are in bed, we had some great conversations tonight, that delayed bedtime for all but it was good. And before I turn in I will will probably go in just to listen to the snoring and watch each of them sleep.

Jen
Jen @ Martymom’s Musings recently posted..One Word: AGAPE

melissa February 13, 2013 at 7:02 am

ah this scenario, so familiar!

this line…
“here are much bigger things to need big breaths over, if I can only remember that.”

amen.

xo

Kim Jorgensen Gane February 14, 2013 at 1:01 am

Captivating, as always, Heather.

denise February 14, 2013 at 5:01 pm

I love it when you Just Write. You take me there, right there, to wherever you were. Thanks, Maverick. xoxo
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