I am routine loving kind of person.
Our days tend to follow the same daily kind of structure:: wake up, quiet time, get Ayla up, have breakfast, take a morning walk, nap time, to-do list, etc. etc. etc….and it’s just what works for us. I thrive on routine and I like to plan what our days will look like, versus just flowing with the winds of whatever comes along. I’m learning to be a bit more flexible, which is a good thing…but generally we stick to our normal routine and I like that very much.
Our nighttime routine is probably my favorite part of our days together. I love coming to the end of a day and having dinner together and talking about the good things and funny things and challenging things that happened to us during the day. We eat and then clear the table and do the dishes, while Ayla plays at our feet and pulls silverware out of the dishwasher and clangs bowls all over the floor. Sometimes we take a walk around the neighborhood or play in the yard or sit on the floor to read books together before bath time, but that just depends on how late and long our dinner went. Ben is usually the one to give Ayla her bath, and it gives me time to finish up the lingering dishes, sweep the floors, and pick up toys (or scroll Instagram, if I’m being honest š ). She plays in the tub for a while, and then gets out to dry off and get in cozy jammies for bed. Once she’s dressed, we all play and tussle on the bed for a few minutes…it’s maybe not the best idea right before bedtime, but it’s just what we do, hehe. It’s someĀ of the best moments of my day!
After her bath, we then go sit on the couch in the living room and she drinks some milk before we carry her upstairs to her room. Ben and I take turns being the one to hold her in the rocking chair while we read her a book or two, sing a few worship songs, and then quote Psalm 23 together. She sits there with her blanket, sucking her thumb, and just taking it all in with such concentration. It seriously melts my heart every single night!
We kiss her good night and lay her in her crib, being sure to give her theĀ corner of her blanket to hold in her left hand. She has to hold the corner, not any other part of the blanket. If she’s not super tired, she usually gets right back up once we lay her down and runs back and forth in her crib while we laugh at her and Ben bounces the mattress underneath her like a trampoline. Yeah like I said, we’re not the best at keeping a caaaaaaaaaalm bedtime routine, hehe. I wouldn’t have it any other way, to be honest. After a few minutes of this, we’ll lay her back down and give her another kiss and walk out of her room. Most nights she will settle right down to sleep, but sometimes we will hear her playing and jabbering for a while after we leave her to sleep.
What about you: are a routine kind of person? What are your bedtime routines?Ā
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
