night time!

So Steven works late most days, which is fine because because we see him in the mornings and so I can't complain. 

I had a pretty good schedule down for night time ... then the baby came... and then school started.

Elliott has lots of friends in the neighborhood and wants play dates everyday.  Since we all walk home together, most days it happens after homework.    I try and get my kids in the house around 4ish for quite time/ down time.  It's flexible.  My goal is to have them play in their room alone for at least 20 minutes.  That would be ideal, I think.

We eat dinner around 5 pm, something easy tacos, quesadillas, grill cheese, mac and cheese, breakfast for dinner, chicken nuggets, pasta etc.   If Steven will be home for dinner (maybe 2 nights a week)  I make a grown up meal and the kids get some part of it they will eat.  Elliott is a picky eater, so sad. 

After dinner my kids play really well together normally.  Which is nice while I clean up a little.  During the summer we played water outside,  its still hot but I am sick of the ants the water play has stirred up.  We then play, bath for the kids.  Normally I put E and L in together then bath Jackson later.  Tonight I bathed Lillian then the boys together.  Still figuring out what works best.  Most nights its impossible to keep Lillian out of the tub, even if she has already gotten a bath. 

I started reading Elliott books earlier in the afternoon because bedtime got so crazy.  I miss the books then bed but someday we can get that back.  Right now we watch a TV show while I feed the baby then brush teeth and bed.  Elliott goes to bed right at 7pm, he is asleep by 7:05 the latest. 

I pick up for a few minutes while Lillian plays and follows me around.  Her night time games have gotten so bad.  She wants snacks, water, blanket, to hold the baby, watch tv, play with her toys, and mainly just to be with me.  It's sweet but I will admit it has me annoyed.  That's my time. 

We have a system, Steven will take her outside to look at the stars for a long time if he gets home in time, then she goes to bed.  If not, I put on a ocean movie sound turned down and sit snuggling with her while I read a book or check emails.    She may fall asleep to it next to me or after it's done I will go put her in her bed and pray she stays. 

After all that I feel like I need a vacation and massage, yet the night had just began.  Jackson, knocking on wood, sleeps really really well.  Lillian on the other hand lately has been crying at night our getting out and coming to our room and climbing in our bed.  Some nights we are so tired we don't realize it.  Once we do one of us will take her back and put her in her bed.  We switched her out of the crib a few weeks ago.  Right now her new bed is in boxes in the garage. She's sleeping on a mattress because we were afraid she would fall out of her trundle bed we got her for her birthday. 


Lillian gets up at nights, most nights more than her infant brother.  Last night we were watching a show on the ipad in bed and she came in.  We both thought oh crap she is going to want to watch it with us....  when we realized she was completly asleep.  We had all the lights on and she didn't wake up.  She hopped up on my side and Steven just let her roll over me to him when he took him back to her bed.  She slept till 6:30 (that's sleeping in for her!)

Right now we are watching the ocean move, it's on the part about sharks.  She's gathered all the blankets she could find.  Showing no sign tiredness. 

*  wrote this a while ago.... tonight I had to rock her to sleep outside.  Poor thing.  I just kept telling myself at some point she will be to big to curl up on my laps and fall asleep.