Mode of transportation: Piggy Back

You've finished dinner.  I'm cleaning up your mess. 

Your hands.  Your face.  Your elbows.  The tray.  The floor.  The chair. 

I help you down and encourage you to play while I clean up.  You giggle with excitement as you pad away, socks scuffing the tile.  As you decide what to play with next, you scrummage through the toys and decide on your bike.

Ding ding!

There about 30 minutes left until we need to start our bedtime routine.  We read books, we watch Pooh bear, we play with Marble, and we cuddle.  As we gear into down time you sense it's almost time to head upstairs.  Sometimes you run around the room as we clean up.  I ask you if you'd like a piggy back up the stairs.  You stop dead in your tracks and you yell 'yah!'.  I help you up on the couch and remind you to hold on to Mummy.  Your little hands can't even reach around my neck but I try to teach you how to hold tight.  I clasp my arms and hands around your little bum and legs that are draped on my back.  I can feel the excitement in your body.  You love piggy backs.  We look in the mirror together so you can see yourself.  I remind you again to hold on tight!  You feel limp so I lean my back forward so you're balanced on my back.

Clomp-clomp-clomp up the stairs, we reach the top.  Turning left to your room and swooping to the full size bed I sit down and lean back.  I let you flop backwards onto the bed.  You laugh and giggle as you lay flat like a pancake.  You roll over, giggle and sigh deeply.  You're tired but it was a good thrill ride to end the day.