Wacky things

It's 8:30 (in the evening), and both the kids are in bed. I've had dinner and Susanne's out at the gym. It seems quiet, and strange to have the place to myself this early. Isaac's always in bed by this time of course, but Elissa often only starts getting ready for bed about now, and by the time we've gone through the tooth brushing, books and stories it's closer to 9:00.

Elissa's bedtime routine goes something like this:

After she brushes her teeth we go to her bedroom, where she picks a book or two to read. Then we have to prop up her pillows, and select one of her soft "friends" to sit in bed and read with us. Lately it's usually been Gerald, the Giraffe (shown to the left). We read the book and then fix her pillows flat for sleeping.

I then duck outside her room and set her lights to fade out over 5 minutes while I "tell her a story". While I'm out for all of 5 to 10 seconds, she hides. Under the covers. Always. I then come back in and have to pretend to look for and find her. I have to be careful not to "Squish her" or keep the sheet/quilt too tight, or I get a lecture on how she couldn't get out.

The it's time to "tell her a story". This is a made-up story of her choosing, although for the last several weeks, it's always been "one where Dora sees wacky things". This involves me having to make up a story where Dora (yes, the explorer) sees, surprise surprise, "wacky things". The wackiness is inspired by the book "Wacky Wednesday", which I had to read every night for several weeks.


After I've finished with the made up story, her room is already dark and I say goodnight to her and get ready to leave. It doesn't matter that I do it the same way almost every night, she still has to tell me:
1. "Put on my yellow light" . This is a small night light.
2. "Put on my coloured light" This is a small lava lamp thing which cycles through various colours for a minutes or two and then goes out.
3. "Leave the door open." I normally leave the door open about 15 cm. Often she "sneaks" out of bed again to open it wider. When I ask her why she wants it open, her response is "So I can see". Of course. If I suggest that she doesn't need to see when she's asleep, she responds "No! I sleep with my eyes open."




Isaac's reading routine is also fairly predictable, apart from which books he'll like, and in what order he'll want them in on any given evening, but I think that's a topic that ought to get it's own post.


The picture to the right is an older one of Elissa reading in bed (notice the winter pyjamas), but it's not that old, and seemed to fit.