Go to Sleep

Mmmm, fresh coffee, fresh bottle of creamer, quiet house, these are the moments... :)

Every night when I put Kiddo to bed I tuck him in the covers, put his Lightning McQueen pillow and his Mater pillow wedged between him and the wall and I ask him how his day went. We talk about what he did that day and if it was fun; and sometimes the conversation is long and detailed, sometimes it is short and sweet, but one thing is always the same. No matter if we ran around all day and had lots of fun, or stayed in and did absolutely nothing, he says the day was good.

Sunday night, I was pulling up his covers and stuffing the pillows behind him and before I could even ask he says, "Mommy I have a sad day".

[my heart just shattered into a million little pieces]

I knew his day was not the greatest, but for him to view it as completely sad just wrecked me. I said "you did?" and he said,
"Mommy I cried all through the [church] service. I cried all down the hall to the playground. I cried to my teacher."

I asked him why he cried.
"Cuz that's what I do."

I asked him if he was hurt or mad or sad....why would he cry so much?
"I was sad. Cuz I was"

We talked about it some more. Again I asked him why and if there was anything that I did or Daddy did or if he was hurt. He said no to most of my questions, and stated again that he was just sad.

He did tell me later though that his knees and legs hurt. I'm not sure what to think of that. Just from being on the birth board that I frequent on Babycenter, I know that a lot of the kids are going through "growing pains" right now and complaining of leg pain. And Kiddo is most definitely growing taller (he has absolutely no pants that are long enough right now). BUT, he also sometimes takes on other's pain - if I stub my toe or something he will pretend that he stubbed his toe too. And a couple of days ago he had me on the floor playing tic-tac-toe with him and I complained that my knees and legs hurt from sitting on the floor. So I am not sure that was an actual legitimate complaint from him or a sympathetic reflection of my own aches and pains.

Either way, it was extremely difficult for me to get through his nightly prayer and story without crying. I felt so bad for him. When we prayed, I added into our usual dialogue a request for God to help us have a better day the next day. Kiddo protested at first because in his mind we have to say the exact same thing every night, but for whatever reason suddenly he kind of understood that we can pray different things to God and he settled down and let me finish.

And he fell sound asleep very shortly into the nightly story.

When he goes to sleep, he lays on his side and tucks his little hands, prayer style, under his cheek and chin. He looks just like every storybook child you see illustrated in a sleeping pose. It is the sweetest thing - and some nights I lie there in the dark staring at his sweet cherub face in the glow of the night light. I pray I never forget that sight. I want it burned in my brain forever.

Until,
D :)