Bedtime Routine

The bedtime routine around here begins with getting pajamas on. Then reading a story....or two or three. Next Bella brushes her teeth. First I get to brush them and then she gets a turn. When it's her turn to brush she makes sure that I put more "poopaste" on the brush for her. Doesn't that just sound yummy...poopaste???

Then it's off to bed. One night in the living room I said to Bella, "Why don't you go crawl into bed? I will be right there." She proceeded to CRAWL down the hallway and into her room. That girl makes me laugh...can you say Amelia Bedelia? Taking things so literally! That was about a month and a half ago, and she is still crawling to bed....every night...in slooooooow motion down the hallway.

Once she is finally in bed we say prayers and a blessing. The blessing ends with "May the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace." Recently when we were home in Medford, my mom taught Bella to say "peace out" and give the peace sign. Now according to Bella the blessing ends with "May the Lord turn His face towards you and give you peace out" with the peace sign :)

Finally when it is time to turn the lights out she protests by crying out "Snuggle Mommy! Snuggle Mommy!" Sometimes it's hard to not cuddle my baby girl when she wants to snuggle me. Once in a while I give in and snuggle her for a couple of minutes, but I know she is just stalling going to bed.

For a couple of weeks Bella went through a stage when she would throw a tantrum when I turned off the lights and left the room. It would start out minor and should would jump out of bed, knock on the door, stick her fingers out under the door, fling the door stopper over and over. Other times she would cry, scream, kick the door and kick the wall. Now we have added the following list of rules that she recites to me before I leave the room:

1. No crying

2. No screaming

3. No kicking the door

4. No kicking the wall

5. And stay in bed!

Thank goodness the tantrums were short lived and she is going to bed peacefully and willingly.