I love those lazy moments in the evening that come just before sleep. We have this new bedtime ritual, where after dinner the four of us lay upstairs in the loft: Mark, the Menininho, and I sharing the “share pillow” and Baby J crawling over and around us. I relish that time.

Afterwards, I get to nurse Baby J as he attempts to scrunch himself into my lap – his legs dangling over the arm of the rocking chair – giggling and trying to stick his finger in my mouth or up my nose. When he’s finished, he motions for Daddy to come get him to sing him to sleep and I head into the Menininho’s room for story time.

The other night, upon entering my oldest son’s room I was greeted by “Babydoll turning 4! Babydoll turning 4 tomorrow!” I tucked M in and we began to plan her party.

“Do you think she’d like a theme? Like how your party was rainbows?”
“Yah!”
“Hmm…would she like flowers? Or trains? Or something else?”
“Trains!”
So, I described how I’d make a train cake with bright colors for each car and we’d play pin the wheel on the train.

M snuggled deeper under his blankets and gazed up at me with a sleepy smile. “The end,” he said.

I love being Mom to my boys. Best. Job. Ever.