Bed Time

What's bed time like for a two year old overseas? Not that different than you might expect in the states. We start the process of getting ready for bed about 6:45 when we ask her to start putting away her toys in order to take a bath. Tonight, Ava was stalling in the "toy putting away process" so by the time she was finished, it was 7:30. No tubbie time tonight.

At 7:30 either Lisa or I takes her upstairs and starts the process. The process is starting with some flashcards on numbers, letter or phonics, (I'm a dragon dad) followed by tooth brushing and then 3-4 books. Ava has been quite adamant about choosing her own books or she will not have them read to them. She is becoming an emerging reader and can recite passages from most of her books from memory. She is starting to sound out letters too, so I feel her reading abilities are just developing out of nothing. Or maybe something.

When I put Ava to bed, I put on a CD of soft music. She wants to put a few toys in bed with her and carry her own water bottle into bed with her. She won't have me pass her water bottle to her. I say "goodnight Ava" to which she replies:
"Goodnight Uncle."
"No! I'm not Uncle! I'm daddy!"
"Goodnight Mommy."
"Nooo! I'm daddy! Not Mommy. Goodnight Ava."
"Goodnight Auntie!"
I walk out smiling at her budding sense of humor and hear as I shut the door behind me:
"Goodnight daddy."