Enjoying Liam and Missing Baby Xander

Bedtime is probably my favourite time of day. Not because the kids will be sleeping and quiet soon (though that too has its perks!), but because I love to read and I love even more to read to my kids. We read during the day too sometimes, but it has become a tradition to read before bed each night. Each child gets 10-15 minutes (sometimes more) to be read to at night by one parent or both. Sometimes we all snuggle up and read to Liam. Often both of us read to Xander once Liam is in bed. But the day always ends with books. The best part about this is that no matter how many struggles the day has brought, we always end on a high note for everyone. And there is no greater threat in our house than: "If you don't hurry up, there won't be time for stories." Guaranteed to make your four year old hussle up! (Or mine, anyway.)

I've included a few of our favourites here. We love to read Sandra Boynton to our tiny ones. Xander has pretty much outgrown it now, but we are reading the covers off our copies of these books (and many more of her titles) one night at a time. I am especially enjoying how Liam chooses a book, climbs into my lap, and snuggles in to be read to.

But I realize that while I am enjoying Liam and reading to Liam, I have momentary pauses where I am waiting for Xander's reactions. After all, we started exploring these books with Xander and his reactions. In "Doggies" there is a page that reads "six quiet dogs", and after all of the funny noises that each dog makes on the five preceeding pages, the toddler Xander cracked up at this line Every.Single.Time. So I always pause for a moment on this page. Waiting to see if Liam will laugh.

Liam is his own person. Always has been. While putting a wet washcloth on his head and having water stream down his face is occasion for raucous laughter (Xander would have had a fit!), "six quiet dogs" only deserves quiet pondering. Why are these dogs quiet? How did the get to be quiet? And what will happen next? Not a giggle in earshot.

So I am enjoying Liam's different reactions, while missing the baby Xander who has come and gone. It happened so quickly, and this time I know it will be gone in a heartbeat, so I snuggle my young son and enjoy these moments...before they are gone and Sandra Boyton is packed away for another child to love with his mommy and daddy.