Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Henceforth to be Called "Spock"

My husband, formerly known as "My Husband" is henceforth in this blog to be known as "Mr. Spock". It was his choice. He wanted that or "Professor Fate". I told him that he only gets to be known as "Professor Fate" if he starts teaching at a University. He's looking into it.

Mr. Spock is presently tucking Muffin Man into bed. We take turns. No matter who does the tucking, however, it's always the same routine:

1. Non-tucking-in parent gives him a sippy cup of milk (he doesn't always want it, but it avoids a delaying tactic) and hugs and kisses. Leaves, closing door.
2. Music on. (usually a classical CD, occasionally traditional lullabys)
3. Clothes and pull-up off (he can do this by himself! but he doesn't always.)
4. Diaper on. (It's easier to put on if he's lying down.)
5. PJ's on. (Again, he can do this himself!)
6. Brush teeth.
7. Read story. Tonight, my bet was on Yertle the Turtle, since it arrived in an Amazon shipment yesterday, but Mr. Spock says it was One Fish, Two Fish.
8. Lights out.
9. Good Night Moon and The Going to Bed Book (both from memory) and a list of people who love him.
10. In bed, pat his back for a couple of minutes.
11. Kiss.
12. Blow kisses from door.

The whole routine takes about a half-hour. We try to stick to it even when we're travelling. Maybe especially when we're travelling. Muffin Man is much less likely to have new place jitters if everything else is the same.

I love doing the tucking-in, but I also love these nights when I have this half-hour to myself. Tonight, I'm sharing it with you.

11 comments:

Phantom Scribbler said...

How old is Muffin Man, Liz?

Liz Miller said...

He turned three in February.

Phantom Scribbler said...

Oy, you're so far ahead of me. We're also doing the pull-up days/diaper nights... but LG will be 4 in July. Sigh...

Liz Miller said...

Hey, everyone moves at their own pace. MM was insisting on wearing underwear for a few months, but refused to use the potty, so he's back in pull-ups. We have a deal that if he actually goes in the potty, he can wear underwear for the rest of the day. So far, that hasn't happened yet. Sigh...

Does LG use doublers at night along with the diapers? If we didn't use both, MM would be drowning every morning.

Anonymous said...

Wow, a bedtime routine. What a concept. Our younger boy goes down pretty easily, but you never know what kind of negotiations you're in for with the older one.
Sippy cup? Check. Two Thomas the Tank Engines? Check. Big hug and smooch for Mommy? Check. One more short video? No. Water my tomato plant? In the morning. Another hug? (Can you really say "no"?)

Tell the husband, "Live long and prosper." Can he teach me how to do that neck pinch thing?

jo(e) said...

That sounds like such a peaceful nice routine.

I was never good at sticking to a bedtime routine -- I think I was just too tired and frazzled myself at the end of the day -- and my kids were always pretty terrible about falling asleep. Well, actually, my teenagers are still terrible about going to bed.

Liz Miller said...

Most of the bedtime routine arose out of earlier negotiations. Now, we've gotten it down to where the only negotiations are "Pat my back one more minute?" and "more kisses?" And we generally give in to both.

And YMMV, but I think that because the whole routine takes a full half-hour, our kid doesn't feel like he's being rushed into bed. Since we take turns and he can see that the non-tucking-in parent is doing boring stuff while he's having fun, he knows he's not missing out.

I like the "watering his tomato plant" negotiation, Corndog. That's a keeper.

Phantom Scribbler said...

I don't know what doublers are, either, unless you just mean two diapers. No, one is sufficient generally for my guy. And will (I hope) continue to be until he's fully toilet trained. In junior high.

We stuck to an elaborate bedtime ritual when LG was being trained into his crib, but since he has gotten the hang of the whole sleeping business, we keep to it or let it slide as circumstances require.

Liz Miller said...

Pull-ups are basically diapers that you pull on like underwear and have cartoon characters on them.

Doublers are pretty much large, flat-ish sanitary napkins that you put inside the diaper to add more absorbency. Pale blue package, next to the "overnight" diapers.

What does it say about my son's bladder that he's using an overnight diaper (extra absorbency) AND a doubler?

Liz Miller said...

I always knew that I could use a pad to substitute for a Doubler. This weekend was the first time I used a Doubler to substitute for a pad. Ugh.

blackbird said...

wow -- I've just remembered our tuck-in routine. It included asking them what was the best thing of the day and the worst thing of the day.

Nowadays (they don't get a REAL tuck-in) I ask them who they had lunch with and if anything "funny" happened at school. I am amazed at some of the stories I get.