We have a definite bedtime routine at the Roden house. In fact, our routine really begins when Matt arrives home from work. I finish up dinner while Matt plays with the kids, we eat dinner with devotions, do a quick pick-up just to get the dishwasher running, head out for a walk or go to the playground, and return for baths and bedtime. The kids love to take a bath together, and there is much splashing and laughter before I scoop Will out of the tub to get him ready for bed while Matt helps Sophie finish up. Will loves listening to stories during the day, but he is usually a little too fried at bedtime for books. So after enjoying his wet squishy-ness, kissing him like crazy, and wrestling him into his pajamas, I sit with Will in the rocker, sing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and pray for my son... Meanwhile, Matt has helped Sophie dry off and get into her pjs . I may pick up with her in time to brush out her hair and to brush her teeth. I almost always fi...
Sometimes when Matt is home for extended periods of time, as he was during the week of Thanksgiving, he has the opportunity to notice new things about our children. Not that he isn't connected to them - he is an amazing, hands-on, intentional dad, but the fact that he spends much of his time at work means that there are little "joys" his misses out on. One of the little "joys" he misses most of the time is the opportunity to spend long periods of time in the car with our kids. (I attribute Matt's perpetual cheerfulness to this fact, but that is another story...) Over Thanksgiving, however, Matt spent all kinds of time in the car with our offspring, and he was stunned by the number of times Sophie said "Mama..." Now, she said it no more and no less than she normally does, but the fact that Matt was in the car and I was talking, or trying to talk, with him seemed to highlight how often the word that has become my name was uttered. Sophie has always...
Sophie had one of her most perfect days on her 8th birthday, and I loved that we were able to give her a dream-come-true day! She woke up to a birthday breakfast, but without our typical doughnuts because we were headed straight for the Franklin Farmer's Market. We showered her with art supplies and an Ariel birthday sign, and she was thrilled about all of them! At the Farmer's Market, Sophie roamed around like the gypsy she is, thrilled to have $10 (instead of her usual $5) to spend! You can't imagine how much Sophie can buy with $10 at the Farmer's Market! When honey sticks are going for a quarter, that can make for a long day! It was hotter than blue blazes, and we'd brought Aunt Tori, Uncle Derek, Aunt Hope, and Zoe, so over half our crew had to head inside The Factory before Soph had finished her shopping, but not before we all enjoyed treats and lunch from Biscuit Love! After the Farmer's Market, we all head to Honey's, a new candy ...
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