Sighhhhhhh. Just put the kids to sleep and tonight was extra special. Daniel hugged me to sleep and Mariam held my hand tight until she fell asleep. Just a few minutes before that they were cheeky little things running around repeating whatever I said and giggling with each other. Kids are dangerous, guys, they’re sly and they play with your heart! Haha.

I realise that my day always ends perfectly because of them (ok Fadza too, but it’s not always about you ok, Fadza *roll eyes*). My favourite part of my every day is bed time with the kids. Every night, we put the kids to sleep together, the 4 of us squeezing to find space in their tiny single bed with a pullout. Before that, we will usually read a book together.

On weekends, we have “sleepovers”. Which just means we sleep on the living room floor after watching a movie together.

Daniel and Mariam have their own rooms but I think they find comfort in each other so they insist in sleeping in the same room. After they fall asleep, Fadza and I will wake each other up (because we almost always fall asleep with them too haha) and we’ll go to our room to get some cuddle time.

By the middle of the night, one by one, Daniel and Mariam will come marching into our room (without knocking, just barge in like it’s theirs) and find a spot on our bed. Daniel will always come and find me. Mariam does no such thing. She’s just Daddy all the way.

“Mommy, after I sleep, you cannot go to your room ok. You just stay here,” Daniel will say to me before he sleeps.

“What if Daddy calls me to go to his room?” I ask.

“Just don’t listen to him. You must sleep with me,” he says.

“I can’t! I have my own room. We all have to sleep in our own rooms,” I say.

“Ok fine, then I’ll just have to follow you,” he says before his eyes close into dreamland.

Sigh. My boy, my hero, my little manjaness. Even Mariam – she has her manja moments with me like when she temans me get ready every morning and wash my face every night, and when she just cuddles up to me when she’s tired. I feel so blessed around Daniel and Mariam that I just can’t believe this life I have and how merciful God has been. The kids are at the cutest age right now, and it makes me sad knowing that one day all this will stop. How long more do we have until they stop coming to our room in the middle of the night and the four of us wake up together in one bed? They’ll start shooing Daddy and Mommy away, they’ll start having secrets from us, they’ll start rebelling with their friends, and no more of this holding hands before bedtime.

Anyone got a time-freezing machine I could borrow?

Us goofing around before bedtime.

Also, remind me to never go blond?