Catching Up.....

I have some backtracking to do!!

First off, Happy 33rd birthday to my sweet hubby!! It was his birthday on the 7th.

Second, I need to post my essay on our bedtime Routines, that is a part of keeping with Carmen and Chris

So, I'll start with that!!

5pm This is dinner time, I'm fairly consistent with this, but there are times we'll eat around 5:30 as well.

5:30pm Dinner cleanup chores, everyone pitches in and depending on what day it is, someone will clear and wash the table, another will scrape plates and another will load the dishwasher (these will be the dishes from lunch....another part of our routine I'll post at another time) and then we refill the sink with hot soapy water and the dinner dishes will soak.
Then it's time to get jammies ready.

6pm This is when all the girls get ready for either their bath or shower (yes, I bath my kids every night, unless something has come up that I'm unable)
I get them in the bath and while I'm washing them, the boys are usually having their bedtime snack and playing quietly.
Alyssa get's out first and gets dried off and then get's Kayla's towel ready for her, then Kayla get's out and get's dry with Alyssa help, then Kayla gets' mariahs towel out for her and I drain the tub and get Mariah dried and all creamed up with that awesome smelling lavender baby cream (okay, all the girls get lotioned up with it!!LOL).

6:30/45 The girls are out and Alyssa help them get their bedtime snack while I get the boys in their shower/bath. I wash Robbie's hair for him, but they do the rest. I start getting baba's ready for Kayla and Mariah (yup, both of them have a bottle still and I don't care!!LOL)

7pm Boy's are out and we read some bedtime stories or sometimes we'll play a game (like hang-man) or sometimes we just snuggle on the couch and talk.
7:30 Alex is first to go and brush his teeth and get his drink of water and go pee, he then get's Alyssa's toothbrush ready for her and she goes next and then she does the same for Robbie and he does the same for Kayla. Kayla is starting to get Mariah's toothbrush ready for Mariah now too.
I usually supervise this, but sometimes I just have to have them come to me for inspection and if they don't meet requirements.....back ya go!!!

7:45Everyone, except Mariah and Kayla get on their beds. They can read quietly, tidy their rooms if needed or they can put their clothes away that will have accumulated during the day on their dressers. I'm usually switching the last load of the day in the laundry or folding the last load from dryer. They will lay their clothes out for the next day.

7:55 I go in to tuck them in and say prayers one by one, they are allowed to read quietly some nights, in which case I will leave their lights on. If I think they are too tired, I will shut their lights out.

8:15 Upstairs to tuck Mariah and Kayla in and give them their baba's and suckies (GASP! I let them have suckies too!!!LOL)I tuck Kayla in and say a prayer with her and it's lights out, same thing with Mariah.

8:30 Tell the olders LIGHTS OUT (if they were allowed to read for that extra half hour) and then I begin on finishing the kitchen. Load up the dishwasher with the last of the dishes and set it to turn on around 3am. Shine up my sink and sweep the floors, wash down the counters. Make sure everything is ready for the morning!!

9:00 Most times my house is quiet! Some nights I'll have straggler come up for a drink or a pee...AGAIN. Usually by 9:30 everyone is fast asleep until morning.
Sometimes Mariah will wake up for another baba around midnight, but she's only usually awake for a couple minutes and goes right back to sleep.
I usually either do my emails and write in here (if Bill is working the nightshift), if Bill is home we will snuggle on the couch and watch movies or I'll read and he'll watch sports. (Usually a Flames game!!!)

11 I do my bedtime routine and tuck myself into bed shortly after.
Unless of course, we're watching a movie or I'm staying awake to wait and see Bill or I'm stuck in cyberland!!LOL

So, there you have it!! A night in the Life at Our House!!LOL Fascinating, huh?!?!?!

God Bless!!
~Penny