Afternoon Glow

By mid-afternoon it is time for Tukes to wake from his nap...

{Incidentally, I've been considering how perfectly lovely it would be to have someone lead me by the hand to my bed each mid-day, insisting that I rest, even sleep, for two hours. My mother can attest to the fact that I did not appreciate such tender attentiveness as a preschooler... neither does Tukes.}

After his rest Tukes will be glowing and ready to play, but first he must be properly awakened. I say properly because he needs to wake gently, on his own terms, or he will be quite a grumpy and un-glowing boy indeed. Boo can attest to that.

I quietly open the door to his room, enter the dimness, and speak to him in a soft, mama voice; when he responds I rub his back.

Then, as he begins to romp about on his bed, the window shade goes up. I see him smile. His room, and his sweet face, fill with a delightfully bright and enchanting mid-afternoon glow that I love.

{Photo: Flensted Mobile hanging in the afternoon glow of Tukes' room, as seen from the hall after nap time.}