An Australia Day Miracle

Yesterday was Australia Day, in case you didn't know it, and a miracle was wrought in my life that I must share with you. It has nothing to do with Australia, but it's too late for a Christmas miracle, and too early for a Ground Hog's Day miracle (which happens to be my birthday by the way), so, after a little googling, I can say that it's an Australian Day miracle.

If you read my recent post called "A Little Bed Time Tip", you know what an ordeal it can be to put my 4 four and under to bed. I've simplified it immensely by bribing them with gummy bear vitamins to actually get them into their cribs, but then we have the book reading, which has to consist of the same books every night, each twin insisting on naming each of the sixteen different types of trucks separately, NEVER simultaneously, even though they each speak with the same tone, speed and impedement, then reading the Big Puppy Little Puppy book, again separately, then there's the water-drinking, then the tucking in, with very particular blankets, in just the right order and quantity, then the hand-holding/praying, then the hand-kissing, then the door-opening just right.

You can't imagine the deep breath I take when this is all done each night. And I didn't even mention that Baby Hippo is usually either on my hip, in one of the twin's cribs or, if I'm lucky, playing on the floor in the 4 four and under's room during this routine.

Last night, the night of the Australia Day miracle, I had gotten to the point in the bed-time routine where I was about to start reading the first book, which means I still had a long way to go before I could walk away. As I was retrieving the book, Baby Hippo, as he sat in Twin A's crib, began to cry, and after several minutes, was inconsolable. I knew that I wouldn't be able to do the book-reading over his crying, so in frustration, I said to the 4-year-old boy, "4-year-old boy, I need you to read the twins their books for me, then when you're done, just give them some more books to read in their beds." I thought this would buy me enough time to nurse Baby Hippo to sleep, then be able go to back in and finish the bed-time routine.

Baby Hippo did not share my plan, though, and fussed for about 20 minutes before he actually fell asleep. I had had my back to the 4 four and under's bedroom door, and when I turned around, I was shocked to see that it was dark in their room. My room was dark as well, so I couldn't tell if they had just closed their door, thus making it impossible for me to see the light in their room, or if perhaps they had turned off the light, sneaked out of their rooms and headed to the basement to play air hockey with the older kids.

I carefully crawled out of my bed where I had laid Baby Hippo, and walked to their room, fully expecting to find it empty, then facing the prospect of having to haul the kids back upstairs to finish the bed-time routine.

I stepped inside their room, turned on their light, and was absolutely STUNNED to find that each of them were snuggled comfortably under their correct blankets, sleeping soundly. To this hour, I still don't know how the 4-year-old boy put the twins to bed, throwing away their night-time routine with abandon, and I consider it a true miracle. Perhaps the 4-year-old boy could put them to bed every night from now on. No, I think I'll at least wait until he's five.

Sometimes things just work out better then you could ever hope for. We Mormons call it a "tender mercy". Yeah, I had one last night. Thanks, God. :)

Thanks for listening!

P.S. My sister and I are finally getting skinnier!
See how we're doing it HERE! :)