process essay

Every night come 7:15 we start our nighttime routine. I can always tell when it is getting close to bed time; Keaton starts to whine a little more, Marnie starts to instigate her big brother and Piper wants to cuddle close. Basically the same three steps have to happen every night before we all drift off into our own wonderful dreams.

Marnie is trying to get her skinny little legs into her pajamas faster then her brother. She already has her shirt on but it has the tag sticking right up into her face because she always puts it on backwards. Keaton is either jumping around or making funny faces at his littlest sister Piper, he hasn’t even started to get his pajamas on yet. Meanwhile Marnie is still trying to get her feet in the right holes and finally she does it but yet again they are on backwards. She stands there all proud of herself with her hands on her hips and says with her squeaky little voice “I beat you Keaton”. Then of course Keaton turns around and says annoyed “Mom I didn’t know we were getting our pajamas on” I had only asked him three times prior to get his pajamas on but he was too busy sticking his tongue out at Piper. During this whole process I managed to change Pipers diaper and get her into clean pajamas. We are all dressed in our PJs and ready to brush our teeth.

As they are running down the hall they are hollering it is my turn tonight, no it’s my turn. We take turns every night on who gets to go first so we don’t have a huge melt down. Keaton hops up on the stool and sees himself in the mirror so again begins to make faces at himself. I am trying to brush his teeth while he is trying to stick is tongue out of his mouth as far as possible. I ask him to please stop making faces so I can brush his teeth. He listens and stops making faces only to begin to tell me exactly what went on at school today. All day I have tried to get him to tell me what he did in school and it is like pulling teeth I only get a few little details. So he figures the best time to tell me is when I have a toothbrush shoved in his mouth. Next it is Marnies turn she doesn’t even want me to hold her toothbrush she has to do it all on her own. I have to constantly tell her to spit because she loves to eat the toothpaste. She moves her princess toothbrush over the front of her teeth about 5o times never touching her side teeth. I pry the toothbrush from her hands and finish the sides of her teeth. She finishes up with a big glass of water that she swishes in that petite mouth of hers and spits back into the sink over and over again until it is all gone. We are all set in the bathroom now it’s time to pick out books.

We go to Keaton’s room and they each get to pick out a book. Keaton usually picks a poem book from Shel Silverstein. It doesn’t matter which one we rotate between them all. Marnie isn’t into the poems yet so she gets a book that has the sounds on the side…fun! We all jump on the bed with Piper in tow. Keaton is on the left side of me Piper is in my lap and Marnie on the right side and I couldn’t forget about our two dogs at my feet. We read the noise book first these are the books that show you the picture next to the words and every time you see it you push that button. Let me tell you Marnie does not miss a button we have to push it every single time. Piper is gets all excited over the pictures so she tries to grab the book and chew on it while Keaton is upset because he can’t see. Then we move on to the poems. Keaton sits very quietly with a big smile on his face because finally he gets to hear what he wants to hear. Piper isn’t as interest since it isn’t making noise and there aren’t any bright colors so she starts to play with her feet. Marnie listens to a few poems but that is as long as she can stay focused so she starts to bounce on the bed. Keaton gets upset and asks her to please stop he is trying to listen to the poems, she acts like she hears nothing and continues to bounce. I manage to get her to sit still by giving her another book to look at while I finish with two more poems for Keaton. Finally, it is time to go to sleep.

We are all done with our books and it is sleepy time. I tuck Keaton in first which has to be exactly the way he wants it with is pillow above his head, his car pillow on the right side of him and the blankets pulled over his face. I give him a big hug and kiss, turn on his nightlight and head into Marnies room. Marnie has to have her nightlight on, her fairy light on and her hello kitty light plugged in and we can’t forget her Mr. doo duck. I don’t know how the yellow blanket with the duck head on it ever got that name but that is what she calls him. I give her a hug and kiss and close her door. Then when they are in bed I get to tuck Piper into bed which is so easy I lay her on her back in the crib cover her legs with a blanket, give her a kiss and turn her mobile on and she is out like a light. All those steps and we still get to bed no later then 7:45 pretty good I must say. I wouldn’t change the bedtime routine with my kids for anything.

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