Recently I took on the horrible task of jotting down our routines to, hopefully, help Nathan's mom as she watches Seth and Leah for us. This is no easy task, especially when you don't really stick to a routine. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to post.

MORNING

Nathan makes Seth stay in bed until the clock says 7, then he’ll come into bed with me and watch Curious George, Sid, and Super Why (Channel 10/PBS) until Leah wakes up and I come to.

BREAKFAST

In the mornings around 8 (after Leah’s awake), we all head to the kitchen. (Leah has been sleeping in later, so I’ve been feeding Seth at 8 and her whenever she wakes up. Seth will usually get out the juice for me I fill the cups most way, then add water. He will suck down his juice as fast as he can, but then he only gets water. We usually eat cereal and cut fruit for breakfast, sometimes I add cheese or cheese toast or cheese quesadilla, yogurt with brown sugar and granola is a must if I’ve made it. Seth likes a little milk in his cereal and I put a splash in Leah’s if she notices she’s been left out. You can fix them whatever you want/find. The only things they can’t have is peanut butter or peanuts.

LUNCH

11:00 – 12:00 depends on breakfast and hunger levels

Lunch is pretty random around here: leftovers, tuna or grilled cheese with tomato soup, ramen noodles, eggs with cheese, hardboiled eggs, raisins, craisins, cut fruit, cheese slices…

They drink milk at lunch and I put the leftovers in the fridge. After they finish their milk, they only have water the rest of the day. If they don’t drink the milk, you can try making it chocolate milk. If they still don’t want it, just give them water.

NAPTIME

I usually put Leah down for a nap after lunch, and sometimes Seth goes down at the same time. I ask him to get into his bed while I put her down and usually he will. If he wants to argue, I ask him to wait quietly in the LR until I finish with Leah. If you feel that they need a nap earlier or later, go with it.

Leah – change diaper, turn on music, turn off light, shut door and lay in bed

she also sleeps with a cup of water and wants all the blankets on herJ

Seth – If he’s ready for a nap, I put a diaper on him, give him a cup of water, cover him and turn on his music. If he doesn’t stay down, it’s b/c he doesn’t need a nap, so I let him watch a video while Leah and I rest!!

SNACK

2:00-3:00 after naps and depending on hunger levels

graham crackers, cheese slices, cheese toast, crackers and pimento cheese, popcorn, cut fruit,

DINNER

6:30 - I have tuna fish with tomato soup and on hand and chicken thawing in the fridge. You can make that or whatever you would like, there are veggies in the freezer and rice in the pantry. Help yourselves to whatever.

BEDTIME

Leah goes to bed around 8 and Seth around 8:30. Both sleep in a diaper, but as soon as Seth wakes up, make him take it off (we don’t want him using it on purpose). Bedtime routines are the same as naptime, except that we start with brushing our teeth and washing our faces, then we get on our diapers and jammies and start the rest. Toothbrushes and kids toothpaste are on top of our bathroom counter. Washcloths are in the windowsill above our toilet.

DIAPERS & WIPES

in the basket under the changing table.

EXTRA PLAY CLOTHES

Seth – in top, right-side drawer of his dresser

Leah – in top, left-side drawer of her dresser

EXTRA JAMMIES

Seth – in bottom, right-side drawer of his dresser

Leah – in middle, left-side drawer of her dresser

MEDICINE

If either of the needs it, they are in the cupboard beside the oven. Their dosages are:

Wal-dryl Seth: ½ tsp every 4-6 hours, if needed

Leah: ¼ tsp

Ibuprofen Seth: ¾ tsp every 6-8 hours, if needed

(in a shaker cup Leah: 1 tsp

with orange liquid)

SHEETS

in bottom drawers of bedrooms

SIPPY CUPS

should be clean in dishwasher; we use the Nuby cups for bed, b/c they leak the least (they’re the one’s that are in the largest quantity)

TOWELS

on shelf in laundry room

TV- BEDROOM

Turn on the black converter box on top, then the TV. Change the channels through the box and the volume through the TV (the remote will do both automatically)

To watch a video, turn on the TV and the DVD player. Push the input button on the remote until the video or DVD player screen comes up. The DVD player remote should be in the basket on my side of the bed.

TV-LIVING ROOM

Turn on TV, VCR and DVD player. Tune TV to channel 4 and VCR to L2 (found under channel 2). All remotes should be in wood crate on top of entertainment center.