Traditions

When I was a little girl my mom and I had a regular bedtime tradition. We would sing the same song every night. If I had friends stay over then Mom had to sing it with them. (Not with "us" but with her, she would sing it with me and then with each of them. Everyone loved my mom because she was the "cool" mom). Of course she was only 17 when she had me so we grew up together. She may not have done everything right but she did love me.

Anyway our song went like this:

Gimmee a little kiss,
Would ya huh?
And I'll give it
Right back to you! (muah, muah, as we kissed each other)

You are the B E S T, best
Of all the R E S T, rest
And I L O V E, love you
All the T I M E, time.

When I had Brett, I sang to him because that was what my mother did with me. It didn't matter to him that I couldn't sing (actually it stilll doesn't seem to matter to him). Since he was such a colicky baby, some nights it seemed like I sang every song I had ever learned from Amazing Grace to Found a Peanut. I'll never forget his face in church the first time we started to sing Amazing Grace. (I guess up until that point he thought we were the only ones that knew that song).

Anyway, we don't sing "Gimmee a little kiss" anymore, he's all grown up now. Although there have been a few times when he knew that I was struggling with something, that he would come and "tuck"me in and sing it. That's special. Occasionally since he has been gone to college, I'll text "Gimmee a little kiss" and he'll text back, I love you too. I hope that someday he will carry on that tradition with his children.

Another tradition he & I had was me "telling" him bedtime stories. He loved for me to read to him when he was little, but once he could read himself, he still wanted me to tell him stories. Usually these stories revolved around him hitting the game winning homerun or scoring the game winning touchdown. I miss those stories!

I can't tell you how many times that as Dale & I were falling asleep, we would remark about what a great day we had, and that would lead to the stories about other great days that stand out. (Besides the usual-- day we met, Wedding Day and Brett "gets born".) Days spent at Petit jean, days at Dauphin Island, time at Los Bos Landing, simple Sunday drives to the Buffalo River. Just time and days spent together. Last night as we were drifting off to sleep, I asked what's the best day you've ever spent with me?

His reply......tomorrow.

I just can't say how much I love that man!