At some point, I will have to twirl 3 times, jump on my head and then howl at the moon…

Declan’s bedtime routine is getting more and more complicated as he gets older. It’s used to be that I just sang Edelweiss and tucked him in and was done with it. Now it’s a huge production that even has a script. Here’s how it goes.

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1. Put pajamas on.

2. Take nighttime meds for allergies and asthma.

3. Go potty one last time.

4. Brush teeth.

5. Turn on fish aquarium.

6. Read 2-3 books.

7. Climb in bed.

Here is where the scripted part takes over:

Aimee: Do you want to count to ten in German or Spanish?

Declan: (Picks one).

Aimee & Declan together: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez

Aimee: (Sings Edelweiss)

Aimee: What do you want to dream about tonight?

Declan: Koalas, Kangaroos & Fish.

Aimee: And what are they going to do in your dreams?

Declan: (Makes up something fun for them to do, usually based on what he did that day).

Aimee: That sounds fun. OK, gute Nacht (good night), Schlaf gut (sleep well), Ich liebe dich (I love you), and nighty night. (Big kiss and hug).

Aimee: (Walk over to the fish aquarium). Good night fish!

Declan: Good night fish! I love you!

Aimee: (Pretend to be the fish talking). Good night Declan! (Turn off the aquarium).

Aimee: (Kiss hand and blow it to Declan). Good night Declan!

Declan: (Kiss hand and blow it to Mama). Good night Mama!

Aimee: (Pretend to catch kiss in the air). I love you!

Declan: I love you too!

Aimee: (Walk out and leave door cracked at exactly 6″ – no more, no less).

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Seriously. Every single flipping night. Somehow we have added bits and pieces on to the routine over time… eventually the ritual is going to be a full-length movie. I guess it’s comforting to him, because he usually conks out in 5 minutes flat. (Either that or the fact that he is finally losing his nap for good and is exhausted from a full day at school…).

I don’t really care though – I guess I find it comforting too.

Greeblehaus is a Denver-based music and travel blog sharing concert photography, reviews, and stories from live music across Colorado and beyond. You can find more upcoming shows in our Denver concert calendar.