The gift of food to parenting

Last night bedtime began with a bang.
I wasn't paying much attention to the clock, but the kids let me know when 7:00 rolled around! All of a sudden, instead of playing with two sweet, enjoyable children, they bombarded me with exhausted whining and crying.
"Off to the bath we go!" I said as I scooped them up and carried them to the bathroom.
Both kids were in and out of fussiness during bath time, but we drudged on.
After bath, I got them both in pajamas, and usually Ze'ev plays on Adina's floor while I read her stories and put her to sleep. Well he wasn't having any of that last night. He was a puddle of tears. So I asked Adina if I could put him to sleep first and then come back and do her stories. Unlike most children, who will jump at any opportunity to go to sleep later, Adina said, "No. I'm sleepy. My stories! Crib!" But Ze'ev just wouldn't allow it, so I had no choice but to take her off of my lap, close her in her room for a minute (she quickly decided she would sit down and read books to herself), and I put him to sleep.
When I rocked with Ze'ev for a minute and then put him in his crib, he let out quite a wail. As if saying, "No Mommy! This is NOT what I wanted!"
Ok, on to plan two... Food.
It had been a whole hour and a half since they had both eaten a good dinner, so apparently he was hungry. I went downstairs and got half of a whole wheat bagel (our go-to if the kids are still hungry before bedtime). I once again placed him on Adina's floor, this time with a bagel in hand. Yay, mystery solved. He happily wolfed down the entire thing!
However, if Ze'ev had a bagel then of course Adina needed a bagel.
Back downstairs I went to get Adina a half of a bagel to have with her milk.
Ah.
After 20 minutes of pulling my hair out with two fussy fussy kids during bath and bedtime, I now had 3 minutes of peace and quiet as they happily ate their bagels. I sunk into the recliner with Adina on my lap and enjoyed the moment.
Then magically, this little bit of sustenance turned my little monsters into bedtime angels.
I gave them both kisses, tucked them in, and enjoyed a beautifully quiet, peaceful evening.

Uh oh, I have to go now! Ze'ev just woke up from his nap and he's hunnnnnnnnngry!