my favorite part of the day

afternoon shift goes by so fast. we get there, wake the kids up from their naps, change them if they're poopy or wet through their clothes, put on socks and shoes, and take them up to the playroom. after doing their hair and playing with them for about an hour its time to feed them sopa (soup). just half an hour after that we start getting them ready for bed. getting them ready for bed involves changing their diapers, putting sleepers on, taking out hair ties, brushing teeth, washing faces, and lotionizing hands and faces. all of the littlest ones go to bed right away but the 4 or 5 oldest stay awake until about 630. after everyone else is halfway to dreaming, we make up the bed in one of the playrooms for night shift to sleep in. and this, this is my favorite part of the day...

...i go out in the hallway by the stairs to grab the mattress. as i carry it into the playroom, emily and vicky see me out of the corner of their eye and run (more like a gallop/skip combo) into the playroom with me. i lay the mattress down on the floor and they proceed to jump on it, the happiest looks smeared across their faces. i can't bring myself to be angry that they're messing up our bed making process. so i just fling myself onto the mattress and play with them. we laugh and play and tickle and lay there, vicky and emily on either side of me, staring at me with their toothy grins. i get the other sheets and blankets from the cupboard to finish the bed. i start with the sheet. i lift it up and as it floats down on my two girls they twirl about, giggling all the while, until the sheet (and they) meet the mattress. they hide from me under the sheets as i cover the bed with two wool blankets and it turns into a game of "dónde están vicky y emi?" the bed is made, and my chicitas bonitas are happy.

it might not be the most efficient way of making the bed. but it is without a doubt, my favorite part of the day.