Almost Bedtime

Well, we are minutes from our bedtime routine.

Often, these last few minutes of the boys' day are the most peaceful. It is during these last minutes that there is less fighting, few moments of stress, more cooperation, and lots of brotherly love.

I love these rare moments when the chaos of our life settles, and the boys truly act as a family. Age, maturity, and a host of other issues seem to disappear. The Herby the Love Bug theme is playing. They are ALL working on some sort of room rearrangement. Lately, they love moving things around in their rooms. Favorite toys and special gifts are collected and arranged close to the bed or other special places. On my part it takes a considerable amount of effort not to return the room to order. I hear Jack ask if a brother is okay. I hear Danny offer a thank you to a brother. Nathan is quiet - a true blessing. For him the current moment, doesn't require him to scream in order to be heard.

Now, bedtime itself is not so fun. And I know this moment of peace is in part an effort to lay low, buy a few more minutes of playtime, postpone jammies and sleep . . . but never the less it is peace and they are brothers. Brothers — sharing the moment, enjoying each other company, and being a family.