A Ritual I Love

In honor of Valentine's Day (on which I'll be giving tests on three subjects and stuffing treat bags for tomorrow's class party), I offer this.


A friend of mine at work told me when SP was about five months old and her child was nine months that at every single month birthday she wished she could freeze time because *this* had to be the most magical time. I nodded, feeling secretly sorry for her that her baby was already so old. But now I get it because it's true. Although I did really enjoy that time when she was just sitting up and playing happily and like a potted plant that you could walk away from for a second without worrying that she was juggling knives and drinking bleach in the ten seconds you turned your back. But this is the life right now, I can tell you.

She says "up" and "again" and "that" and a lot of other things that sometimes are even relevant and not just repeated for the joy of jabber.  She dances. Oh, lord how she dances and twirls! And runs. Everywhere all the time with squealing.

So it's pretty damn nice.

My favorite time of day now is bedtime because we have this thing we do as a family that just makes me all glowy and happy.

First, I turn on the playlist on iTunes called "baby pea" and we dance around the living room with the dogs. Then I pick her up and we twirl to her current fave (Babylon by David Gray...I blame the coffeehouse station on sirius). We all cuddle and dance.

Then we adjourn to the rocking chair and snuggle with Amarillo Higgins the stuffed penguin and rock and give kisses while dh reads aloud from Memory of Light. Slowly she relaxes and goes to sleep.

It's a precious if fleeting ritual. Although the book is long enough it could conceivably go on for months if sp is willing. I expect it won't last much longer though. She grows and changes so quickly but for this moment in time, my Valentine's soundtrack will be part David Gray, part Brandon Sanderson and all perfecton.