bedtime

I have a sticky note attached to my laptop with a list of blog posts I want to write up so I can record for our girls (and ourselves) the events of our lives, the things we do and experiences we have. I'll get to it next week when both girls are in school for the morning - what what!!!!!  Graham just started another shutdown so I basically on my own and as I sit typing this I have 3 baskets of laundry I need to fold and a to do list from today that is only half done, I may just get to that next week too.  I tidied the kitchen changed the laundry and decided to clean off my phone pictures, avoiding everything. Looking at pictures makes me happy. I try to clear my phone at the end of each month so that things stay organized.  I also love being reminded of what our month entailed!

 I took these bedtime pictures tonight and I thought I would quickly blog about these women and what bedtime looks like around here.   Some nights they can be absolute goofballs!!!!!  I don't know if it is exhaustion or a delay bedtime strategy but tonight they were posing and goofing around, generally just being hilarious darlings.  They are basically the same size right now so all of the pjs are in one dresser and they create their bedtime outfits.  Amelia told me after tonight we should pass down the cinderella nightie to Neely.  Tonight we had to order ballet clothes at the dance studio so the girls had their bedtime snack in the car on our way home from that.  One of my favourite parts of the day is bedtime snack and scripture videos on the ipad, everyone mellos out and if they have just had a bath it is when I brush out their hair (which I love doing).  It is sets such a peaceful tone in preparation for bed.  On nights like tonight when we are a little more rushed we will just recite Articles of Faith.  Each of them has a print out of them taped on the backside of their bedroom doors so we can make sure we are keeping them in order, I kinda love doing that too!  Both girls can almost do all thirteen which is pretty cool. We do brushing teeth, flossing, clean earings and potty.  This weekend Graham put Stella's bed back in her room, every night this week they have been begging to sleep together.  It is honestly kind of heart breaking BUT they get to share on the weekends and they sometimes get a little carried away, so in the interest of a good nights sleep they are in their own beds on school nights. We have read probably a dozen classic chapter books; Charlotte's Web, The Trumpeter Swan to name a few and in preparation for school starting I have a collection of 'Back to School' books - Yes I am a nerd like that! I treasure doing this with them.  I also love giving each girl 'Butterfly Kisses' and then 'Eskimo Kisses', getting giggles from them and having some tight squeezes before I go read.  Sometimes from there it is hard to stay positive and upbeat if they start pushing the bedtime procrastination buttons, like silliness becoming a stall tack tick, I really try to have patience but rolling solo can mean I may have a depleted supply of patience.  Stella has her kindergarten orientation tomorrow and I think we both have some nervous excitement. She asked me to come and hold her hand after stories tonight, so I did.  This is a common request for her.  After Stella finally nodded off Amelia called me to her room asking me to rub her legs, so I did that until her eyes finally closed.

Tonight bedtime went from silly fun, to a bit frustrating, to falling in love with them again in their angelic sleeping state. Ahhhhh motherhood!

~ Momma P