Moments In Time

I've often heard that the best conversations parents have with their children happen in the car.  I suspect that, like many other parents, this may be true for us as well in the future.  For now, though, the best conversations we have with our children tend to happen in the shadows of dusk as bed time approaches.

Each evening, I lie beside Pea in his bed recounting the day's events and discussing our favourite parts. This usually happens after bed time stories have been read and after the light has been turned out. The tiniest slivers of evening light enter through the edges of his window curtain which allows me to see only the outline of his face (but not the details) well.  Typically, he drapes his left arm over my shoulder and around my neck as I rub circles with the tips of my fingers on his back.  We lie together like this as we talk and I soak in every touch, every word and even breathe in his scent, as though I might lose it forever in sleep.

Tonight, after we exchanged our favourite parts of the day, he became silent, yet I knew he was still awake by his breathing.

He lifted one finger and said, "Mommy, I bite my finger." During dinner tonight, he accidentally bit his finger and required some loving and kisses to make it better.  

I lowered my head down and gently kissed the tip of his index finger.  "That hurts," I consoled.

"Yeah," he admitted.

I then pulled him closer to me and brought his forehead to my lips, kissing him before saying, "My baby."

Then, in a dreamy whisper he said, "You're my sunshine, Mommy."