Bedtime

Aaron's bedtime routine hasn't varied much over the years, although on some nights he'll drag the process out as he remembers something he hasn't done or something he hasn't told us.  One thing he's always wanted to do before bed is to hug us, which really is sweet - especially coming from someone who has a hard time showing love and emotion.  When he was little he would back up to us for a hug.  It was so funny to hug him backwards, but that was how he was comfortable.  I remember Gary's mom, especially, getting such a laugh out of that.  Now he actually gives us a real hug - progress!

He used to hug ONLY in his room.  Yes, no other place was hug-worthy to him.  I remember one night not too awfully long ago when I tried to hug him in the bathroom just before he brushed his teeth.  He knew I wasn't going to wait for him to brush before hugging because I was tired and was going to bed, so he put his brush down and walked (or thumped!) back up the hall to his room.  He turned around and waited for me to come in his room to hug him.  That was all - just a hug and then he thumped back up the hall to finish brushing his teeth.  Amazing!

I walked in his room this past Monday night to find most of his covers on the floor.  "Mom, can you help me put my covers back on my bed.  They weren't straight quite all the way."  Well, certainly, Aaron can't go to bed without his covers being just right (remember my Order of the Covers story?) so I don't even argue that point anymore.  I just helped him put the covers back on and made sure EVERY wrinkle was out, just the way he wanted it, and he could then rest. 

Practically every night he must also ask if it's going to rain.  Some nights he'll forget to ask and soon we'll hear him thump, thump, thump up the hall.  Often he'll just barge right in to our bedroom, or sometimes remember to just stand at our door, and say, "Mom!  Do you think it's going to rain tonight?"  I'll answer the question and he happily thumps back up the hall to his room.  Some nights I just tell him about the rain chances before he asks, but he might still thump up the hall and ask, "So Mom, did you say you don't think it'll rain tonight?"  Sigh.  He does love rain.

Last night he came in our bedroom and said, "Mom, can you fix me pancakes tomorrow for breakfast?"  I replied, "Well, I'll see if I have time."  So he changed his tactic a little.  "Mom, can you fix me a FEW pancakes for breakfast?"   Maybe I could manage a few, right?  So I told him that maybe I could fix a FEW pancakes.  He rethought that real quick and said, "Mom, I mean can you fix me some pancakes tomorrow?"  HaHa!  Let's leave out that "few" business and go for more!!

Some things about bedtime I just wish he wouldn't bother to tell me.  The other night it was warm and so after telling him goodnight I heard that familiar thump, thump, thump up the hall.  He actually knocked on our bedroom door this time and then said, "Mom!  It's hot so I'm not going to wear much clothes to bed."   And why do you think I want to know this, Aaron? 

Good night, Aaron.  No, it's not going to rain.  And I'm personally glad that we already hugged good night.