Letter to my Children: Hiding A Coin During Bathtime

“Are your eyes closed?”

“Yup.”

Bean and I sat together. Our heads leaned in towards each other. The water was warm. I could hear Dragon move. The sound of a coin clinked against stone, then metal, then silence. There were more ripple sounds as he moved in the water.

“Are you ready yet?” Bean yelped by my ear.

“Almost.”

More ripples burbled from Dragon. “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes and looked around. Bean reached over and shook the washcloth on the side of the tub.

I stretched up and ran my hand along the windowsill - fingers ferreting for the hidden quarter. Hmmm, nada. Where else could it be? I wonder if he did a repeat of last time.

I glanced up at the plastic bathmat hanging from the shower head. I spied dark silver tucked inside on of the holes and I quickly glanced away.

“Are you standing on it?” Dragon lifted his feet.

Bean ran her fingers on Dragon’s feet. “Is it between your toes?”

“Nope.”

“Are you hiding it under your watch?”

Dragon pulled the watch face away from his skin, “nope.”

Bean stood up and reached into the shower curtain bunched over the rail.

“No, it couldn’t be there because we would have heard the rustling of the plastic.”

“Well, where else…” Bean’s eyes landed onto the plastic mat. “Ah HA!”

I think this game started when the two of you would hide my rings. Especially tricky when there are bubbles in the bath.

You two are getting big enough that all three of us have too many arms/legs/elbows/hips/knees to fit comfortably for a long time - but this game has persisted - now with a clean quarter instead of rings.

It is not going to last forever but I am going to take every opportunity to grab onto these moments that fill buckets. Thank you Dr. Becky for teaching me about the importance of I love you rituals.