Da Dee Dum

"Do the Da Dee Dum," EmmyLou proclaimed one night. After a puzzled look and a few minutes I finally understood what she wanted. Da Dee Dum is the lullaby I sing every night. You know the one - "Lullaby, and good night, go to sleep little baby, . ., " except I don't know all the words so I sing the verses as "Da Dee Dum, Da Dee Dum, Da Dee Dum Dum, Dee Dum Dum," thus EmmyLou's song Da Dee Dum. She has very specific requests for the Da Dee Dum! "NO, on you lap," she proclaims whenever I try to speed the process up. Being a creature of habit, her bedtime routine has to be exactly the same each evening - Da Dee Dum, prayer, kisses, hugs, cover me up, and one more kiss for good measure.


Sadly with my older children I would have quickly brushed off a request to linger a little longer at bed time. As most moms would agree, bedtime signals the end of the day and a chance to relax and recharge - my time! However, I savor these moments daily! The joys of preschool life are slipping away. Long gone will be the wonderful thoughts and conversations of literal logic, the Da Dee Dums, and other preschool quirks. Quietly, but slowly, the door to this part of motherhood is being closed. Filled with mixed emotions - sadness, happiness, fear - I realize the preschool life is familiar and comfortable to me, but its reign must end as I move forward to other stages in life - tweens, adolescence, etc. My journey with my last child will be long and varied as I hone my mothering skills, but a journey I am willing to experience.

For now, I'll take one more Da Dee Dum.