Living Arrows 6/52 – New Pyjamas and the Bedtime Routine

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”
Kahlil Gibran

This year I am taking part in Living Arrows, a weekly photography project taking photos of my boys week on week, last week was all about having one on one time with each of my boys.  Something which is so important for me to do, especially with the bigger one.  The littlest gets me every day while he is at school but for my big one I need to sneak in the time and use the weekends wisely.

This week has been about new pyjamas.

New Pyjamas and the Bedtime Routine

You may or may not have been following my sleep battles.

From when the Baby was a mere newborn he didn’t sleep (nor did I expect him too), he still didn’t sleep at one, or 18 months or to be honest even to this day.

It’s been a long 21 months of broken sleep, and the days where he does longer stretches the big one decides it’s up to him to wake up.

It has been a long and exhausting few years.

One thing that people always say is that a solid bedtime routine is key.  That without it your children will flounder.  That they won’t sleep because they don’t have a bedtime routine.

We have a bedtime routine.

We have a bedtime routine so ingrained that if I deviate I get shouted at by the little one.  But still he doesn’t sleep.

And if you wondered our bedtime routine goes a little like this….

5:00 pm

Tea time.  Delicious, home cooked tea.  Or fish nuggets with chips depending on the day of the week you catch me.  Whatever it is that I feed them it tends to end up on the floor or in their hair.  Not enough goes in their bellies which I feel may be contributing towards their lack of sleep.

5:30pm

Tea dumped on the floor.  Yogurts slurped.

Now the demands for bath time start.  Not just requests to go upstairs and get in the bath, but vehement protests at wearing clothes.  Full on screeching demands to have them taken off, and when they are off little naked bums scampering up the stairs.

Every night without fail.

Glinting in the moonlight.

5:45pm

Bathtime.

Or more accurately throw as much water as possible out of the bath and demand to get out as soon as our hair is lathered up time.

6:00pm

Shortest bath ever, naked, slippy boys running round before PJ time.

Squealing in delight usually.

6:15pm

Time to calm down.  Time to wind down.  Time to put some clothes on those bums.

My name is Laura and I have a pyjama obsession, more specifically a matching pyjama obsession…

Most nights my boys go to bed in matching pyjamas.  Tonight they’ve gone to bed in matching pyjamas and vests from Sense Organics, a premium organic clothing line from Germany who are both fair trade and cruelty free, and unbelievably soft against the sensitive skin of my pair of rogues.  Not only that but they are warm, which is fantastic because Doha is currently experiencing the coldest weather since 1964 and on a par with the UK falling into single figures at night.  With NO HEATING!

Of course, before I manage to get them into the beautifully soft pyjamas I have to play the nappy dance with the little one.  I put it on.  He undoes the tabs.  I put it back on.  He undoes the tabs.  It goes on and on.  Until he is pinned down and trousers are put on….

6:30pm

Down the stairs.  Milk, Peppa.  Calm on the couch from the biggest.

Milk, Peppa and the little one takes position lounging against the coffee table.

Peppa finished and the theme tune plays.  The little one lets me know he’s ready, his demand of “hand, hand, hand” before taking my hand and leading me to the fridge for more milk.

6:50pm

Time to pick a story.  Then not to listen as I read it.

Bedtime now, time to get cosy. Kisses given as the biggest scurries to wait for me to come in.

The littlest into the cot, giving me directions in his own special baby language to set up the mattress on the floor for me to “sleep” on under his watchful eyes.  His pile of books at the end of the cot rooted through, favourites grabbed and the pictures studied intently.

Me running between rooms. Both reading books.

Both requesting my time.  Both with eyelids heavy with sleep/

The last “I love you” of the night.

Kisses.

Then more kisses.

These are my babies.

More kisses.

Final waves as I sneak out of the door (this bit is a big work in progress for me as the little one expects me to lie on his floor until he is asleep).

No tears. No shouting.

Singing songs. Blowing kisses.

Down the stairs.

Sleeping babies.

At some point just after I’ve closed my eyes to go to sleep…

Muuuuuuuuuuummmmy….

*we received the pyjamas from Sense Organics for the purpose of this post