Bedtime with Lila

I don't stop moving during the day, with one exception. When I put Lila to bed at night I lay down with her. Tonight she insisted on wearing her new princess shoes "in case my feet get cold." I let her because I seriously would sleep in my new shoes sometimes if Kevin wouldn't make fun of me. We always read a few books and we say prayers. Sometimes I skip pages or ad lib, especially when she picks the awful, wordy, Disney books. Sometimes we whisper secrets back and forth and exchange soft little "I love you" or "No, I love you MORE!"'s. Sometimes we fall asleep holding hands (all on cue: awwwww!) Sometimes I fall asleep before her and sleep in her bed for hours on end. However, I must say that the prayers are my favorite. I like sharing my prayers with her. I pray for many of the same people that she prays for... Lila's friends, the boys' friends plus my friends, and my students (sometimes by name). I pray for my friends who are sick, hurting, or aching for something or someone that they don't have. Then I make sure I leave time to listen to her prayers because they go down roads that I would never consider and because I never know what she's going to say. This is what my baby girl prayed for tonight:

Mommy, Daddy, both of my sweet boys, people who are sick, people who throw up (this led to a whole side-line about people with babies in their bellies, specifically a school friend's mom. Also, did I know that Mommies throw up their babies?? Um, not exactly), Austin and Nick (her teacher's brothers), all my baby dolls, that owl (pointing at woodland creatures in the tree mural painted on her wall), that owl, that owl, that bird, that bird, that bird. Jakemyvery bestdogwhoisdeadinthepond (not true... he is dead but not anywhere near the pond), princess shoes, my whole more family Ingrid and Ceci and ALL the people who are throwing up and boys who fall off skateboards. Amen. And Chuck-E-Cheese. Amen again.

So the good news is that if anyone is vomiting right now you are totally covered by our prayers. You and the woodland creatures on the wall. And Chuck-E-Cheese. Amen again.