School & Sleep

Other than missing the photo op to get all four girls' photo before school the first day, school is off to a great start. All four girls announced after the first day that they were excited to be back in school and everyone is happy with their new teachers. We are still having issues with the early morning wake up call. My take on bedtime is that it should be early. The girls think that 8pm on a school night is too early. I really think that they should be IN bed at 7:30pm so they can be asleep by 8pm at the very latest.

My girls have THEIR bedtime routine down to a science. I start telling them at 7:15 that it is almost time for bed. They automatically kick into slow motion. Getting pajamas on is stretched out to a 20 minute process. I didn't know the girls could move so slow! In the mornings before school tooth brushing is done almost before they put the toothbrush in their mouth. In the evening they have to brush EVERY tooth at least 5 minutes! I guess this could be a good thing, but it is just part of the ploy to drag out bedtime.

After they brush their teeth it is off to bed.....whoa! Now everyone is thirsty! Sorry girls, you just brushed your teeth you can't have anything but water to drink. My former water haters all of a sudden can't drink enough water! Of course, they can only take little, teeny tiny sips! They then head toward the stairs, but OH we forgot to give you hugs and kisses! (Do they know how to suck up or what?!!) At this time they want to give extra hugs and kisses and maybe if they work it just right they will climb on a lap and get to stay up at least a couple of minutes longer!

This is a typical morning pose after the girls have finally drug themselves up the stairs. They barely make it to the love seat and have to become horizontal again!


Then after all the love is passed around, they are down the stairs to bed, right? WRONG! Minutes after the thump, thump, thumps are down the stairs we hear thump, thump, thump right back up with someone telling that "ZoraLin is in our room!" Or "I forgot my (insert any stuffed critter here)." Back down they go...YES! Mom and Dad head off to the freezer to get a popsicle (the good kind that are reserved only for parents!) A head pops up from the stairway. "Mommy, what are you eating?" "Can I have a bite?" Of course, if they go to bed and don't come back up at least a couple of times we sit up here thinking "Maybe we should go see what is going on?" "Could they really be asleep?!"

Then on the weekends we wind up with a bed full of girls. We love family bed time! Lots of tickles, hugs, giggles, dog piles...you name it!