Bedtime for Kate

One of the few times Kate takes an interest in the toys in her room is right before bedtime. It's time to get washed up, or brush her teeth, and suddenly she's fascinated by some toy she's walked right by for weeks.

I separate her from the toy of interest and we head to the bathroom. I get a washcloth wet to wash her face. As I reach it toward her, she says, "Ow! Ow, Daddy! Ow." It's awesome, especially when I haven't come within a foot of her.

I manage to wash her face, and we go back into her room. As I change her diaper, she says, "Elmo? Elmo?" She is referring not to her stuffed Elmo, but rather the kind of diaper she wants. With Elmo's picture on it, rather than Big Bird or Grover. So I find the diaper, and get her dressed in her onesie and pajama tap. But, she wants to put on her own pajama bottoms. "I do! I do it!"

So I sit her down on the floor and she happily busies about putting on her pajama bottoms. I wander off, because this is a 5-minute exercise. Sometimes she puts them on backwards. Sometimes she gets them halfway up, and walks out all proud: "I DID it! I DID it!" And they're still below her butt. Sometimes she turns them inside out and returns to the toy she was interested in earlier. Sometimes I'll hear her: "I can't DO this! I can't DO this!" Eventually, we manage it.

I brush her teeth. This is also a back and forth ("I do it! I do it" and "My turn! My turn"), which gradually gets done. Then it's time to say goodnight to Mommy and Jack, which we do. Sometimes she gives big hugs, kisses, nose rubs. Sometimes she's all coy and runs away. Then changes her mind and runs up and hugs them.

We read stories. Maisy, Goodnight Moon, Backyardigans books, etc. "One more book," she says. Sometimes I relent, sometimes it's too late.

I turn out the light and rock slowly. I begin with Take me out to the ballgame. As I finish, she says, "Sun." So I sing Mister Sun, sometimes she joins in. As I finish, she says, "Moon." I sing Mister Moon. Then: "Edelweiss." I sing that, and we conclude with Eensy Weensy Spider. She says, "Itsee Py-der" with a smile. I sing that, complete with hand gestures, and she chips in a few of her own, raising her fingers up in the air for "up the water spout."

Then I put her in her crib, tell her I love her, and close the door, goodnight.