We don't take many pictures of our bedtime routine, but it's something we do every night! One of the things that T got for his birthday were
these water changing tablets. The kids love to 'throw colors' each night and it's been fun to talk about color mixing. I don't think they quite understand that part yet, but they love to see what the color is going to be. On this night, it was obviously blue.
They both usually run upstairs when we say it's bath time, and run into K's room to start jumping from her bed. That's not something that we told them to do, but it's a little game that they have made up themselves. While they are playing/jumping Andy fills the tub and asks them to come throw colors. They oblige and it's back to jumping/playing. I am usually laying out their clothes for the next day, or I start brushing their teeth. They don't mind the brushing either, and want to try it themselves after we brush them.
Getting a bath is always fun, they have lots of toys and sprayers to play with. Getting out, however, can be a challenge. Neither wants to go first and have started to argue a bit about who it's going to be. We try to just alternate them each night, and whoever gets out first gets to play on our Nook, or pick the books that we are going to read.
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| Smiley K, look how long those bangs are! |
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| Cutie Pie T loves to be with all the bubbles. He rocks a bubble beard every once in a while. |
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| T, dressed and ready for bed, is 'reading' his favorite Mickey Mouse Halloween book. |
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| I just love this little guy. |
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| K's hair has been dried and she is snuggling in with one of her favorite books. |
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| "I read to you," she told me as I snapped a picture. Love that and love her! |
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My favorite pic of the night, K is 'reading' to T. T continues to sleep with a bink, he only has it at naptime and bedtime. He also drinks a little milk when we rock him in the rocking chair in his room.
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When both kids have been bathed, dried and dressed, all of us settle in our bed for a few minutes. We read a story or two together, each child picks a song for us to sing, and then we kneel for family prayer. T started calling it 'folding arms' a few months ago, so that's what we call it. Andy usually takes T to his room for a last cuddle and milk, while I take K in her room for "talk", that's what she calls it. We talk about the day, about what will happen the next day and she picks a couple more songs for us to sing together. Then goes to her bed and says her own little sweet prayers. I love listening to her. Finally, I tuck her in and sing the song we've sung every night, Skid-a-ma-rink, she calls it "Skiddy".
I head over to T's room, where he is usually 'hiding' with Andy. They are sitting in the dark and have had their 'talk' and T wants me to 'find' him. He giggles and giggles when I do. Andy kisses T goodnight, and goes to K's room to kiss her one last time. T and I sing a couple of songs and then I put him in his bed. He has to find all 3 of his 'friends' and the toy spider before he will lay down. I tuck him in and sing one last song that he chooses, it's usually Itsy Bitsy Spider, but he varies.
Both kids are awake when they lay down and we can hear them chatting/singing to themselves for few minuets before falling asleep. Sometimes T needs a little more attention and Andy goes up to check on him. K, however, is a sleeping rockstar! Writing it out makes it seems like quite a process, but it's not at all. I love our bedtime rituals and hope that this end of the day makes for a great tomorrow for them. They are clean, smart and well rested because of it. :)
