If anyone ever has doubt that a parents heart resides outside of their body, you only need to look at your sleeping children. Each night as we tuck the girls into bed we go through the same four steps: Story, Prayer, Kisses (both real and blown), and the assurance that we will, of course, check on them.
“Will you leave the door cracked?”
“Sure, honeys”
“I lost my kiss, can I have another one?”
“Here they come... get ready...”
“Will you check on us?”
“Always and forever”
And with that I gently close the door (leaving it open a crack) turn off the hall light and creep downstairs - or more than likely back to the office to get some more work done. Before Tony and I turn in for the night, as promised, we check in on both sets of twins -realigning them in their beds, tucking in covers, and bestowing one last good night kiss. Its a ritual that we both love, and if forgotten will send one of us bolting from the bed startling the other who was, no doubt, only moments from sleep.
I’ve heard it said that at times your children are no more precious than when they’re asleep. Not going to lie on this one, there are times that this seems pretty close to the truth. But we’ve grown accustomed to the madness, the constant pattering of feet, squeals, laughs, cries, and falls. The house seems awfully quiet without those sounds... even if it promotes productivity.
On the nights that I have to go to MHS and work on the set (which I love doing in its own right, though it makes our lives (and those of our families) all the more crazy) I miss this ritual so much. I find myself glancing at the clock: seven-thirty... the boys are going to bed. Eight o’clock... girls in tubs. Eight-Thirty... story, prayer, kiss, “will you check on us?”...”Always”.
Tonight when I came home I was able to snap these pictures of our four sleeping babes... looking pretty precious. There is no doubt where our hearts reside: in the mussed sleeping bodies of our four babies.
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