When Tess was a baby, we had a routine to calm her down for bed: jammies, then a story and snuggle. On the way up the stairs, we sang her a silly song. Sounding like a cartoon train, "chugga-chugga-nigh-nigh" was our final signal to her that bedtime was coming.
Although we sometimes forget or rush up the stairs ("Bathtime! Woo!" is not an uncommon alternative), the song endures in our house. Before long, Tess sang the song with us. The girls would ask their grandparents to sing it to them - Chris's dad even titled a short story he wrote for them "Chugga-chugga-nigh-nigh".
Recently, Claire has taken over as the conductor of the train. Each night, as we march up the stairs, Claire sings to the rest of us, whispering the "nigh-night" softer and softer as the train gets closer to their bedroom.
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