Every time Grace asks to talk about Snow White it's all I can do to NOT bust out in song to the tune of Salt N Peppa...but I don't. I refrain.
But I do have to jot this before-bed ritual down because it's one I don't want to forget when I'm old and gray.
Here is how bedtime goes in our house.
Dinner.
Baths. Clarification. Grace takes a shower. Charlotte takes a bath.
Jammies. Brushing of the hair and teeth.
Charlotte gets a bottle a few stories and she is out. It takes her 15 minutes - tops! - to put herself to sleep.
Grace on the other hand is a different story. She requires her favorite blankie, a fistful of binkys (still!) and at least three stories. The first story is ALWAYS her "Sleeping Beauty Book" and the other two change from day to day. For a long time it was Ferdinand. Anyway, after the books are read and the lights are turned out it is time to sit and talk.
"What do you want to talk about tonight?" I ask, even though the answer is always the same.
"Snow White! Snow White makes pizza with green and blue and black (M&Ms) on top!" she replies.
"Oh yeah?" I always answer in surprise. "Is it yummy? Do the Seven Dwarfs like pizza with candy on top?"
"Yes."
Then I ask a series of questions. They are always the same questions and in the same order.
Does Snow White like to fly in airplanes? Does Snow White like to drive a car like Mommy? Does Snow White like to swim in the ocean like a dolphin?
She shakes her head no.
Then it is on to the story. Again, same questions. Same order. Every night.
Does Snow White like to sing? Does she like to eat apples? Does she eat an apple? Is it a poisonous apple?
She answers yes to all the above.
"Who gives her the apple?"I ask.
"The witch." she says.
"And does Snow fall asleep?"
"Yes."
"Who comes to wake her up?"
"The Prince."
"And how does the Prince wake her up?"
"With a kiiiiiiissssss."
Then the fun part begins.
"What color horse does the Prince ride?" I ask knowing she is going to smirk and say, "The Prince rides a tree." Then she dies laughing - every night - because she knows 1) the prince rides a white horse and 2) who rides a tree?
So I say - mind you this is every night for months now - a tree?!?!? You silly goose. The prince doesn't ride a tree. But she insists that he does.
To move on, I ask her what color horse she likes to ride. Her answer - a black baby horse.
What color horse does Daddy ride? A white horse.
And Mommy? A purple horse.
And Charlotte? An orange baby horse.
And Grandma? A red horse.
And Grandpa? A BIG horse.
And Aunt Molly? A green baby horse.
And Uncle John Andrew? A yellow horse.
And Uncle Tygh? A gray horse.
And Aunt Sarah? A pink horse.
And Baby June? A brown baby horses.
"They are all horses!" she says.
At this point, I can usually convince her that Charlotte "needs" my help and that after I help Charlotte, I'm going to brush my hair and teeth and put on my jammies. Once that is all done, I will come back and continue talking to you. What would you like to talk about when I come back?
She usually says Daddy, Grandma or Grandpa.
And usually, she is asleep before she remembers that I am supposed to come back and finish our talk! On the off nights, we are summoned several times to read another story, to get her a glass of water, to find the binky that is lost in the covers...you get the idea. She is already a master at stall tactics...but most of the time, our talk about Snow White does the trick.
There you have it. Our bedtime routine. Not swift. Not efficient. But definitely unique!
But I do have to jot this before-bed ritual down because it's one I don't want to forget when I'm old and gray.
Here is how bedtime goes in our house.
Dinner.
Baths. Clarification. Grace takes a shower. Charlotte takes a bath.
Jammies. Brushing of the hair and teeth.
Charlotte gets a bottle a few stories and she is out. It takes her 15 minutes - tops! - to put herself to sleep.
Grace on the other hand is a different story. She requires her favorite blankie, a fistful of binkys (still!) and at least three stories. The first story is ALWAYS her "Sleeping Beauty Book" and the other two change from day to day. For a long time it was Ferdinand. Anyway, after the books are read and the lights are turned out it is time to sit and talk.
"What do you want to talk about tonight?" I ask, even though the answer is always the same.
"Snow White! Snow White makes pizza with green and blue and black (M&Ms) on top!" she replies.
"Oh yeah?" I always answer in surprise. "Is it yummy? Do the Seven Dwarfs like pizza with candy on top?"
"Yes."
Then I ask a series of questions. They are always the same questions and in the same order.
Does Snow White like to fly in airplanes? Does Snow White like to drive a car like Mommy? Does Snow White like to swim in the ocean like a dolphin?
She shakes her head no.
Then it is on to the story. Again, same questions. Same order. Every night.
Does Snow White like to sing? Does she like to eat apples? Does she eat an apple? Is it a poisonous apple?
She answers yes to all the above.
"Who gives her the apple?"I ask.
"The witch." she says.
"And does Snow fall asleep?"
"Yes."
"Who comes to wake her up?"
"The Prince."
"And how does the Prince wake her up?"
"With a kiiiiiiissssss."
Then the fun part begins.
"What color horse does the Prince ride?" I ask knowing she is going to smirk and say, "The Prince rides a tree." Then she dies laughing - every night - because she knows 1) the prince rides a white horse and 2) who rides a tree?
So I say - mind you this is every night for months now - a tree?!?!? You silly goose. The prince doesn't ride a tree. But she insists that he does.
To move on, I ask her what color horse she likes to ride. Her answer - a black baby horse.
What color horse does Daddy ride? A white horse.
And Mommy? A purple horse.
And Charlotte? An orange baby horse.
And Grandma? A red horse.
And Grandpa? A BIG horse.
And Aunt Molly? A green baby horse.
And Uncle John Andrew? A yellow horse.
And Uncle Tygh? A gray horse.
And Aunt Sarah? A pink horse.
And Baby June? A brown baby horses.
"They are all horses!" she says.
At this point, I can usually convince her that Charlotte "needs" my help and that after I help Charlotte, I'm going to brush my hair and teeth and put on my jammies. Once that is all done, I will come back and continue talking to you. What would you like to talk about when I come back?
She usually says Daddy, Grandma or Grandpa.
And usually, she is asleep before she remembers that I am supposed to come back and finish our talk! On the off nights, we are summoned several times to read another story, to get her a glass of water, to find the binky that is lost in the covers...you get the idea. She is already a master at stall tactics...but most of the time, our talk about Snow White does the trick.
There you have it. Our bedtime routine. Not swift. Not efficient. But definitely unique!
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