George has developed the sweetest little personality ever. When he’s not being a little monster boy that is. But it truly shines in two places.

He is always…and I mean always…quick with a thank you. It’s the kind of thank you that melts your heart. He says it after you pour him water or put on his favorite TV show. He says it after you change his diaper or give him a little kiss. It’s one of my favorite things to hear. We didn’t teach him this. I would like to take the credit. It just started happening one day and we have been praising him for it ever since.

But quite possibly, the thing that has had tears rolling down my face more than once recently is our bedtime routine.

Typically, Aaron gets him into his PJs and overnight diaper while I finish in the kitchen. He’s tossed into his bag and then they watch a truck video together.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Get to the good part.

When I go in to say goodnight, he is usually already in his bed. He has his Grandma Angel blanket tucked in all around him. It’s the one made from some of my mom’s favorite clothes. Each of my kiddos have loved on that thing. He has all this yayas in a ball…reaching them out to me.

He’s recently started calling his beloved oranges yayas. I’m not sure why. But he has. And it’s adorable.

There’s probably ten of them in his bed at all times. He asks for rain. This is when I sprinkle all the yayas over him while he giggles the most infectious giggle. Then he asks for a kiss.

I kiss my two fingers and lower them to his lips. This is where the routine used to end. In recent weeks, he’s added a few steps.

He peels my hand open so that he can then plant a little sloppy kiss smack in the middle of my palm. He then gently closes my hand around the kiss and plants another on my knuckles before pushing my hand towards my chest. If I open my hand before I leave the room, he demands we start over because I have let his kiss go. Sometimes he will call out for one more as I leave the room and we repeat the routine again with my other hand.

sigh

Where does this sensitive boy come from after a day of rough boy play? It’s everything I can do to not run back to scoop him up and drink in his snuggly cuddles. I know in that moment he would let me. He’s always go go go. But these are the moments he will put his head on my shoulder while wrapping the other around my neck. He will let me rock him well past the time I should have put him down. He loves it as much as I do.

Like all things, there will be a time when he no longer wants to participate in these routines. It’ll be sooner rather than later and I’m not quite sure how I will handle it when it all stops.

Until then, I will take his kisses with me when ever I leave.

I am writing for the 2020 Slice of Life Challenge.