The Pritchard Family

Since I only have a few precious hours with the kids each day, bedtime/bathtime is my domain. It’s a good chance for me to connect with the kids and give Kathleen a much-deserved break.

Being the softie that I am, I made the mistake of letting Kaylen slowly extend her bedtime routine to the point of insanity - it has since been a struggle to bring it back down to a 20-30 minute endeavor.

When you combine my imperfect parenting with a nightly dose of teeth brushing, stuffed animal gathering, book reading, one more prayer saying, one more drink taking, one more potty tripping, and one more playroom ceiling star-gazing, I can tend to get a little edgy. Those are my “worst of times.”

But after I pick Kaylen up in my arms for one more peek at the stars, she always buries her head in my neck and nuzzles up close. And my heart always melts more than it did the night before. The rest of the day is forgotten - I am loved by my daughter, and in that moment nothing else matters. No question, those are my “best of times.”