2011 Challenge : Sleep

When the boys were small, these three things helped them to settle at night.

1. The cot quilt, now rather washed out.
2. Teddy.
3. Reading the book "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown with pictures by Clement Hurd. A gift to #1 when he was born from our dear friends in Pittsburgh, it became a firm favourite. I can almost recite it in my sleep, and used to nearly drop off as I got to the last line, reading in a slow, very quiet voice.

In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of -
The cow jumping over the moon
And there were three little bears sitting on chairs
And two little kittens
And a pair of mittens
And a little toyhouse
And a young mouse
And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush
And a quiet old lady who was whispering "hush"
Goodnight room
Goodnight moon
Goodnight cow jumping over the moon
Goodnight light
And the red balloon
Goodnight bears
Goodnight chairs
Goodnight kittens
And goodnight mittens
Goodnight clocks
And goodnight socks
Goodnight little house
And goodnight mouse
Goodnight comb
And goodnight brush
Goodnight nobody
Goodnight mush
And goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"
Goodnight stars
Goodnight air
Goodnight noises everywhere

The last 24 hours have seen us celebrating our son's 21st birthday and also supporting close friends as they gave thanks and said goodbye to their father. Families coming together on both occasions - for the happy and the sad times.

And now, I need to get to bed, I'm exhausted.