bedtime bliss

there was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep.
- ralph waldo emerson

wake time is wonderful with my children, but when bedtime hits (7:30pm for scout, 8pm for finn),
and my house is quiet, it too is wonderful. sometimes c and i will get on our laptops side by side at the kitchen table to check email or to finish up a work project. some nights we both read or watch a movie together. the important thing is the night belongs to us.

i learned early on the importance of routine and that it's not a crazy obsessive mom thing like i thought
pre-kids. it's true - kids really do thrive on routine. sure there are times when your travelling or they are sick and the routine goes out the window but once you have one in place, life is easier. after a first year of rough nights with finn, we learned the importance of a bedtime routine and did things differently with scout.

for more than a year now, scout nearly jumps into his crib every night. it doesn't matter who's watching him, as long as they stick to 'the routine' and his blanket and binkie are in hand, they have it made. he's easy and the night is theirs. here's a clip of a scout's routine (minus the bedtime story)



 

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i'm reading a book called the middle place by kelly corrigan. it is my book/wine club's selection of the month. i am really enjoying it. it's a rollercoaster of a book. i'll laugh on one page and be in tears the next.
take two minutes to listen to this clip at the bottom of the page. the voice is the author, kelly, reading the introduction to her book.

let me warn you, it might make you want to run out and purchase it. she just has a way with words and storytelling. i'd offer my copy when i'm done, but i've promised it to my mom.