Bed Time with Ellie

One of my favorite times with Ellie is bed time. She has to have someone lay with her before she will go to sleep - so in our new house I typically have to climb up the ladder to her new loft bed and try not to kill myself getting over the railing. But once I'm tucked in next to her some of the sweetest parts of the day happen.

I try to not talk for too long because she is trying to go to sleep. And to be honest, some nights I'm tired and just want to go to my own bed. But then there are the nights where we talk and giggle and just enjoy being next to each other at the end of the day. I hold on to these moments because I have no idea how many more years she'll want me there as her captive audience ready to talk about anything.

One question I have almost always asked Ellie is what her favorite part of the day is. She often says, "Right now." It always make me smile and feel good. Last week I was in Boise and Kevin got to feel this for the first time. I got a text from him that said, "Laying with Ellie she asked me my favorite part of the day...I said playing Pass the Pigs...she said, "Mine is right now, but pass the pigs is second."...Cute!"

I asked her if it was her favorite because she was in bed or because we were in bed talking and she said she loves bed. She loves sleep, sleep is her favorite subject. But she did add that she loves me too. Of course for me, it's my favorite part of the day because she wants me there, talking with her, giggling, and she wants her day to end with one of us next to her.

There are also a lot of giggles and funny things that happen at the time.

Our typical routine is to get in bed, say a prayer together and then kiss good night. One night when I was gone for work Kevin climbed in bed (back in PG before the ladder), got tucked in and then it was time for prayer. He didn't know our typical routine and after prayer Ellie, very tightly lipped said, "I'm doing kissy lips." They cracked up and we have several times cracked up since then.

A couple of weeks ago I was laying with her and she smelled my armpits. She kept sniffing them because she liked the smell. We giggled and I finally had to make her stop. A week or so later she said, "Do your armpits smell good tonight?" I responded, "No."
She sniffed and said, "Ew...why don't they smell good tonight?"
"Because I didn't shower today."
"Disgusting, so that's why you look so fancy smancy."
"I don't."
"I know mom, it was a joke."

Oh.... sarcasm has begun. I knew it was only a matter of time, but luckily I can handle it. I just hope that bed time with Ellie continues for many many more years.