Not Your Ordinary Lullaby

Have you ever noticed that moms and dads do things very differently?

In our world, Joe is very detailed oriented... planning is the key to everything. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants changing direction with the wind. I tend to believe our partnership works well when raising the kids... they get the best of both worlds!

One area where the difference is clear is bedtime for the girls. I tend to be "wishy-washy" ~ giving them the extra 2 minutes of play that they beg for .... about 5 times. Then letting them pick a Madeline tape to watch. Agreeing to the 5 trips out of the bed to get water, go potty once more, tell the dogs goodnight, make sure the kitchen curtains are closed.... basically, anything they come up with... I go along with... and they finally settle and I on occasion hum a soft song as they drift off to dreamland. My song choices are always soft... always conservative "normal" bedtime songs!

On the other hand... we have Joe. When he takes over the night time ritual with the girls, they brush their teeth, hop in bed and never ever ask to get up. They do ask for a song... one particular song that he has been singing to Abby since she was a teeny tiny baby. Nope... not Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.... not Brahms Lullaby... you would never guess it in a million years.... the song requested of Daddy is none other than Bruce Springsteen. Thunder Road. Not a song that one would naturally associate with bedtime for a duo of giggly little girls... but it is the song of choice in the Judge house. Of course, Joe has changed some of the words. It is Abby's dress that waves as the radio plays! Abby knows all the words to this song... Lilli is learning.

Yes... moms and dads do things very differently... but that is the beauty of family!!!