Bedtime can be a really sweet, frenetic, exasperating, tearful, or joyous occasion here- sometimes two or more of the above! Our routine is rock solid, and is working very well for us. Fairly soon (within 30-45 minutes) after dinner, we all head up the stairs to get ready for bed. Sometimes some or all clothing is stripped from one or more children while still downstairs, for some unknown reason (either by themselves, or by me).
First, the big kids work on brushing teeth and getting jammies on while either Mike or I change Colin's last diaper of the day and get him suited up in his pajamas and sleep sack. Then Colin says good night to his siblings, and we make the 'sleep' sign on his face.
He sometimes adds a snoring noise, which is absolutely adorable. One of us goes into Colin's room to read a few books, have a sip of water, and put him in his crib, then we all lie on A's bed while we read 1 or 2 chapters of the Magic Treehouse series, or Junie B. Jones, and 1 chapter or book of B's choice. We of course need to alternate nights for whose book is read first.
Next, Bennett hugs Annalise goodnight and goes to his room to get tucked in while Annalise pulls her covers back. Every time we leave Bennett's room after saying goodnight, turning on the nightlight, making sure he is holding Starry, and spreading the fish blanket over the top of everything, he says, "make sure to leave the door a little bit open." He has been saying this one or more times per night since the age of 2.5. It isn't an absolute requirement that A have a nightlight on anymore, but most nights she turns it on. Annalise never says, "I love you" when we tell her, but she is now making the 'I love you' sign and holding it up to my 'I love you' sign.
I was thinking a while ago about all the different types of kisses we have in our family. Sometime when I put the kids to sleep we do all of them. There is the butterfly
kiss, the eskimo, the normal on the mouth kind, turtle kiss (where you stick your nose in the corner of their eye and they squeeze it, and vice versa), and our favorite of all, the open-mouthed, sloppy wet Colin Kiss. We also have been doing lots of zerberts on bellies lately, but we try not to do them too close to bedtime because things can get quite silly. Colin is quite the little zerbert-meister!
It took three children, to have one who discovered the fun of toilets. I was in the bathroom with Colin at the exact moment he kindled his fascination... I had just flushed, and he was pointing at the swirling water, and listening to the filling tank, pointing, and saying his little pigeon sound- ooh, ohh. I closed the lid of the toilet. He was holding an empty plastic Ikea bowl; my back was turned as I washed hands at the sink, then plop! Giggle, giggle...he swished the bowl around in the water. I fished the bowl out of the bowl, saying 'yucky, no!', closed the lid, and turned to put the blue bowl in the sink. Turning around to the sound of more delightful squeals, I saw my youngest son creating a whirlpool current with his cupped hand, and as I lurched across the room toward him, pudgy palm went to lips- lovely, sweet toilet water, then a six-toothed grin.
