Bedtime

I love bedtime with my kids.

It is one of my favorite parts of the day. After we finish reading the Bible together and praying together, we send the kids upstairs to bed, usually with a gruff, but playful, “to bed with ya’!” as the prompt for them to scramble. My daughter, #4 in line – our “not so terrible two”, will usually look up at me with her big brown eyes and say, “Carry me like sakapatatos” (read that: sack of potatoes). This is our little ritual wherein I toss her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and tickle her little feet all the way up the steps until she says, “Please stop Daddy!” That is my cue to pat her little bottom, tell her I love her, and bring her down off my shoulder. During this time, I am usually also chasing one of the older three up the steps with little pats on their bottoms and lots of giggles as they pretend to try to outrun me but somehow seeming to always remain within reach.

Way back when #1 was born I decided that I wanted to sing to each child at night when I tuck them in. The desire came from fond memories of being a little guy of 3 or 4, sitting on my mother’s lap on the rocking chair in my room with my legs around her waist while she sang Grandfather’s Clock, the Little Brown Church, Bye, Baby Bunting, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, and other songs. Those times, separated from me now by what is pushing four decades, are some of the most vivid and powerful memories from my childhood. My mother passed away over 13 years ago now, but her voice is imprinted in my memories as if I just heard her today, and I think that is because of those many hours with her lips close to my ear in those quiet and tender times right before she tucked me in.

I think that ritual and routine are very important in raising faithful children. It is far from boring and it cements good memories in them of what life was like in the household growing up. Just try to do it differently one night and you will see how important routine is to my kids.

You might gather that the stair climbing ritual that I described above is not quite as calming and quiet as what I experienced with my bedtimes as a kid. It’s not, but it is our thing. The great thing is that I can tickle and chase them up stairs and they can calm right down when I tuck them in. They know the routine and they love it.

I decided early on that I would like to pick a special song for each of my kids and sing one verse of that song to them when I tuck them in. I wanted to have something that was uniquely them, something that fit their personalities and temperaments, and something they could draw on in future years as a meaningful reminder of what Amy and I worked so hard to instill in them while they were under our care.

For my oldest, I choose A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. He is the big brother and the strength of God, the power of the Word, and the gift of the Spirit as described in the song is an impression I want him to carry for the rest of his life. It seemed very appropriate for his personality and for his place in the family.

For #2, the choice was Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee. She is my double joy, as that is what her name means. She was also born on Christmas morning. I like to think of her as double joy not only to me, but joy that will one day go out from our home into the world. I want joy and satisfaction in God and Christ to be evident in her at all times – that is why we named her as we did - so the song is a natural choice for her.

My #3 was a little more difficult because she is the quiet and more reflective one of the bunch. After some amount of thinking, I finally settled on Be Thou My Vision as a fitting reflection both of her personality and of what I pray for her life. The gentle and melodic ancient tune seems to resonate with her personality and the contemplative nature and specific focus of the words seem to capture exactly what she is like.

Little #4 was easier for me and I think I picked her song sooner than any of the others. I chose This Is My Father’s World because she is thoroughly Daddy’s girl. Everyone at church calls her my shadow because she is always within 10 feet of me. She has a sincere desire to please and expresses a unique delight when she knows she has done so. I pray that her affections naturally move from her fallen earthly father to her perfect heavenly father as she grows in maturity. I pray that she always takes delight in the world around her that her Father created and that she knows the security that He provides in His world as much as she feels the security of the world that I provide for her.

Baby #5 does not have his own song yet. I usually try to wait until something in their personality strikes me before I decide. I’m getting closer to a decision, but like all the others before him, for now he gets tucked in with Jesus Loves Me or Jesus Loves the Little Children. That is always sung with him cradled in my arms held tightly against my chest and it is always accompanied with the biggest grins you could imagine on his face. It thrills my heart to look down into those delighted eyes and big smile as I sing before laying him down in the crib.

After singing and tucking in each one of the girls just so and collecting my big hugs and kisses from each of them (sometimes there is a butterfly kiss or Eskimo kiss thrown in) I tell them, “I love you girls” which is answered with a chorus of “I love you Daddy”. This is very precious to me.

My #1 son and I will give robust hugs with firm pats on the back and whispered “I love yous” and usually there is a kiss. I asked him a couple of years ago how long he was going to keep kissing me goodnight to which he replied “One hundred million times”. So, after we kiss he will recite what number we are on (we’re up to 534) and then I will turn out the light and close the door.

Later on I will often sneak into their rooms while they are sleeping to pray over each of them and to pray for Amy and myself as we work to be faithful in the care of these five souls that God has given us.

I love bedtime.