Goodnight kisses

Tonight Kyle had a hundred questions about the Sandman, which had him popping out of bed and wandering down the hall to find me two or three times, after I had already tucked him into bed. The Sandman, along with the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Toothfairy are still very real to him. This is something that I continue to actively encourage because I cherish his innocence and the fantasy land that is still his to romp around in for yet a while longer.

As is our nightly ritual, after teeth have been brushed and before the lights get turned out, we read a book together. The tide is turning. I used to be the one that read to him and now he chooses to read to me instead. Tonight he selected "Home For a Bunny". "Spring Spring Spring sang the frog" begins the book. How well I remember, because this was one of my personal favorites when I was Kyle's age. I tell him this and he is quite impressed that we like the same book. I always liked the illustrations by Garth Williams, who also illustrated another personal favorite of mine, "Wait to the Moon is Full", and of course all the "Little House on the Prarie" books. Kyle starts the book, but can't make it past the first couple of sentences without stopping to ask a question or comment upon the story or a picture on the page. He wants to know what a bog is, how a bunny would make a hole in the ground and how do frogs breath under water. Our nightly readings take rather random turns until mom, who usually is starting to fall asleep on the pillow next to him, tells him to keep on reading! We finish up and then I tuck him in and kiss and hug him. Then I have to kiss and hug Teddy, his rather beat up, but well loved bear, that he made at the Teddy Bear factory last November, his inseparable companion and life long friend. I have to kiss and hug Teddy the same exact number of times that I have kissed and hugged Kyle, and believe you me, if I don't, I get called back into the room to even up the score. Now all is quiet. A definite stillness has fallen over the house. A stillness that only occurs when Kyle has fallen asleep. I think the Sandman has done his work for the evening.