at night

I've been meaning to post a summary of our current bedtime ritual for weeks now, before it changes, and I'm having a lot of trouble concentrating on work right now, so here goes:

Some time between 8 and 9pm (we aren't very good with strict schedules), it becomes time for bed. We get Charli a cup of warm soymilk, and Buster a cup of warm whole milk. Then Charli and Brian go downstairs to drink milk and read a book, and Buster and I stay upstairs to drink milk and rock on the rocking chair and change diapers and put on pajamas and jump on the couch. Buster does not go downstairs to read the book because he likes to destroy any peaceful book reading experiences people around him might be having, by hitting or taking the book, or hitting or climbing on or sitting on the reader or readee, or by screaming a lot if he can't do any of those previous things.

When Charli is done with her book, she comes upstairs to tell me "It's time for Buster to go to bed right now!" Buster is often not quite ready at that point, in which case Charli also jumps on the couch or does other random things until Buster has his jammies on. Then Buster and I try to sneak downstairs in front of Charli (the sneaking is much more effective when we have visitors to distract Charli; it is hard to sneak downstairs when she is the only other person there), but she always catches us and gets down the stairs first (it's a big deal in our house who gets to go down the stairs first).

When Buster gets to the bottom of the stairs (he walks down holding my hand), he gets a giant grin on his face and runs into the kids' bedroom, where Brian is waiting, and runs around or climbs up on him laughing. Then it's time to brush teeth. First Buster comes into the bathroom with me and we brush teeth. This commonly involves a fight, but it's getting better. Then we come out and Charli goes in with Brian. They have all kinds of noisy discussions while I fluff Buster's pillow and put him in the crib with his 2 favorite blankets. Then I sing him songs until Charli and Brian are done with teeth brushing and peeing and touching the ceiling. Buster never falls asleep during this period; he always waits for Charli.

Charli always comes out of the bathroom nekkid, and Brian has to get her a clean pair of unda. She gives me a hug, and Brian jumps her into bed. Then he has to stand aside as she throws her pillow to me for fluffing. Then Brian has to give her her snuggly toys, and then he has to put her blanket over her (which is really MY blanket) in exactly the right way. Then I put her fluffed pillow on the bed. Then Brian gives her a kiss, and I say goodnight to Buster, and then I give her a kiss and Brian says goodnight to Buster, and then we have to wait in the doorways while Charli says all her goodnight stuff and we respond:

Charli: I don't want to see a ghostly claw!
Us: No ghostly claw!
Charli: I don't want to see a creature!
Us: No creature!
Charli: I don't want to see a big bad wolf!
Us: No big bad wolf!
Charli: I don't want to see a fox!
Us: No fox!
Charli: Good night and I love you!
Us: Good night and I love you!
Charli: Bye bye!
Us: Bye bye!

Charli sometimes says these things to us in a funny voice or a funny cadence, and we repeat them back to her that way. Also somewhere in there, she remembers to ask "Mommy, wait, Mommy, can you sing tonight?" and if my allergies are not in force and I am not completely stuffed up, then I say "Yes".

After Bye bye Brian's part is finished, and he leaves through his door (the bathroom door), and I go back in and we sing a song that Charli picks. Sometimes she tries to fool me by making up random song names, but I never sing those songs. After the song is over, she sometimes tries to tell me she didn't hear all the words, but I tell her I sang them all. Then she tells me "OK, Mommy, I just am going to say 'good night and I love you and bye bye', OK?" "OK."

Charli: Good night and I love you!
Me: Good night and I love you too!
Charli: Bye bye!
Me: Bye bye!

*door shuts*