Bedtime ritual

They say rituals help kids
to feel more secure.
London has one every time
she takes a nap or goes down
at night.
It never varies.

It goes like this:

I lay her down on top

of her fleece blanket.

Then her favorite one

goes on top.

She'll say,

"I want mom sing a bird."

That's Blackbird.

So, I sing it.

Sometimes, she sings it

with me. Word for word.

I close the blinds

and she asks for her

cup. One last

drink of milk.
In the summer she

would ask me at this point

to turn on the fan.

Sometimes she still does,

just to make me laugh.

I tickle her a little,

then say goodnight.

She turns over,

puts her favorite

2 fingers in her mouth,

plays with the

fringe on the blanket,

and drifts. . .

off

to

sleep.