Well, the girls are going back to school. We're three-times a week, now, and 5-hours instead of 3 per day. Plus, they have ballet class on Mondays after school and Tiny Tumblers (gymnastics) on Thursdays. We are also contemplating swim lessons, but are watching to see if we're not already over-programmed. The girls, however, are adjusting quite well. I was initially worried that, especially with all the sleep issues we've been having lately (skipping some naps and never ready for bet at a consistent hour - leaving bedtime also inconsistent and usually a battle - probably based on their inconsistent naps), and I thought with the more intense schedule might be disastrous. However, with the "nap/rest time" a part of their school schedule, it's actually helped us out at home.
So, we're dedicated to skipping naps now, and it's helped ensure that everyone is ready for bedtime, which is earlier that it was before. I had been fighting this big move since their nap/quiet time was necessary to ensure Baby Brother had a really good uninterrupted afternoon nap. However, I've found that I can still work one in for him provided the girls remain enthralled by a movie or TV or some other "quiet" activity. I'm sort of feeling guilty about allowing an hour or 90-minutes of more TV (they already get about 45-minutes in the morning while I make breakfast, get dressed and feed Baby Brother), however, if it allows us to run as smoothly as the last two days, I'm sure I'll learn to weave it in as a necessary evil.
So, yea! We've found a way to please everyone....we think.
Another "big girl" move that we're starting is wearing nighttime pull-ups instead of overnight diapers. I'd stuck with the diapers since, frankly, they hold more and we'd hardly ever get a leak. But, we're encouraging the girls to get up themselves in the middle of the night to go pee-pee in the toilet. We'll need to buy more night lights, but hopefully, it will cut down on some of the times Paul and I are awakened at night and will bring home the whole idea of keeping the pull-up dry in the morning. We started first with nap time and, with their consistent success, we're going for nighttime as well.
