Bedtime

Bedtime is such a precious time. We've been blessed that Allie's always been a great sleeper. I enjoy bedtime now, though it certainly wasn't easy when Allie was really little and I know when Allie gets a bit older she won't always go to bed so willingly.

We have our routine, but Allie has learned how to delay the inevitable. Its always followed the same basic pattern. Going upstairs and getting a diaper change and putting on jammies. Into the bathroom to brush teeth and hair. Read a book. Get into the crib and sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Give hugs. Lay down and say good night, though for awhile I had to just make Allie lay down and quickly run out of the room. That was a time when she wasn't so willing to go to bed.

Allie likes Dada to brush his teeth along with her. She likes to rinse her brush and put it back in the holder and then get a little water to rinse off her face.

Now we read two books. We read her current favorites, which she is infatuated with. For awhile it was "Brown Bear Brown Bear." Then it was "Olivia." Now its "Olivia Says Goodnight," and "Hand Hand Fingers Thumb." Dada wants to read books, but Allie only wants Mama. She says "mama read it," and thats that. Olivia is the first book and after Mama is done, "Allie read it." She takes the book and turns the pages acting like she's reading, while Mama reads the "monkey book," as Allie calls it.

Then its to the crib. We dance and move around while we sing. Then she goes to Dada to have only Dada sing the song. After that is a bunch of hugs. Depending on her mood and how tired she is, its literally a ton of hugs and kisses. Dada leaves and Allie yells for him and hides behind Mama. Then Mama gets a few hugs and its time to lay down.

We put a little throw pillow in the crib awhile ago that she lays on when I tuck her in but doesn't usually stick with all night. She lays down and then her friends "jump" down to her. Those friends are Hippo. Penny (the penquin) and Taggie lay down, and Allie says who she wants to jump when. Then its finally time to tuck the silly kid in. She has two blankies and Mama covers her up nice and tight like a mummy. By mummy, I mean arms and sometimes her friends tightly tucked into the two blankies.

I'd say the last part is the cutest, but every part is the cutest. When she's all tucked in nice and tight I tell her I love her and blow kisses to her. I whisper "I love you" and she whispers back. We whisper "night night" and then Mama is out the door. Its been awhile since the time when she would cry at bedtime. These days she plays hard and is usually pretty exhausted by the time bedtime comes around. We're also still usually blessed with naptime, which usually has just as long a routine unless Mama manages to get away with reading just one book.

On a lot of weeknights bedtime is the only real quality time we get. Between making dinner and getting chores done, I'm usually a bit torn between letting Allie stay up to play with her or putting her to bed so I can sit down and relax a bit. So the act of going to bed means a lot more. The days are passing so quickly!