When it comes to my children’s routine, sleep is the critical element. Days preceded by restless nights, or a late bedtime, typically yield lots of whining, with an occasional meltdown, or three. Gemma is the only one that has a set nap schedule, and Siella is down to maybe one nap a week now. For my sanity, and their own good, I try to nap them whenever possible, but with school, activities, and lots of play, it’s not always possible to get them down for their afternoon siesta. Nighttimes could be rocky if one of them wakes up in the middle of the night. Since they are sharing a room, one kid crying or making noise can quickly result on all three awake. I can sometimes get them to go back down, but there are plenty of mornings that I find myself sipping coffee before sunrise.

Upon arrival at our one bedroom suite, The Benjamin had pint sized robes, bedtime books, and the little plush owls laying out on the bed, waiting for the kids. They were extremely excited to see some of our favorite tales like Good Night Central Park and Twinkle Little Star. Reading is a staple in their bedtime, and something they look forward to every night.

That night, we went through our usual bedtime routine, topped off with mini robes and special pillows, and new owl lovies. Low and behold, everyone slept in past 7am- a new record. Sure, we had the two big kids wonder into our room in the middle of night, but we all slept snuggly in the king size bed. We all woke super refreshed and ready to enjoy the unusually warm NYC weather.