I do remember and I hope I always will

I cannot sing, it is a fact that I have been able to come to grips with over the years. I am great in cars with the windows down, or in the shower, but other than that it is a disaster. In addition to not being able to carry a tune, I have what Wade kindly refers to as a "stage voice". In other words I have no volume control...it is one level and that level is extra loud. Considering these two facts one might surmise that I am not the person to call on when a lullaby is required. But, in my house, I am the go-to-gal for night-night time, so I had a choice-Make every ear in the house ring with an off-tune version of "I Will Always Love You" or find another way to send my son off to la-la land with the sound of my voice. I chose the latter. Sometimes I hum, which seems a little less like I am torturing the boy. Other times I will tell him about all the people (or things) he knows that are also going night-night. It goes something like this "Mama nigh-nigh. Papa nigh-nigh. Choo-choo nigh-nigh." Today we tried something new, and I am pretty sure that it might be his favorite so far.

See, we have made several attempts at a nap this afternoon. The first time we were in the rocker I started talking with Henry about all the fun things he did this morning. I said "Remember the green choo-choo train and the library with the books and all the other kids that were reading stories too?" He seemed to settle down and relax a little so I keep going. After going back and forth from the rocking chair to Henry's bed three times..let me just interject, yes, I know that I should let him put himself to sleep and I do that most of the time but I can't stand leaving him in there when he is red faced, yelling Mama and covered in sweat. Besides, come to my house, and walk into a room with a sweet little baby who has spent the last 5 minutes collecting all the animals and the eight blankets in his bed and is now standing on the edge of his bed, arms so full of blankets that you can only see a few blond curls on the top and his tiny little toes on bottom, saying "Mama? Wock-by? Pees wock-by." over and over again and let's see how stone faced you are. Anyway, we are in the rocker for the third time in 10 minutes and I am not saying a word this time because I have figured that it was all my chatting earlier that has kept him up and Henry starts talking. He turns his face right next to mine and says "Member green choo-choo Mama? Member books? Member Ray-Ray and vroom-vroom? Member Henry dive? Member Papa? Member chalk? Member dance? Member wock-by Mama?"