What do I Want to Whine about Today?

I realize I haven't posted in a while. I have been a little bit busy. We are moving into a new house, and I have come to find that we have a lot of stuff. No wonder my life feels so unorganized, it is! I'm so excited to use this new house as an opportunity to create some semblance of order. I have tried to implement a schedule for my boys, but that is nearly impossible when living with your parents and having a husband around all the time. Now that Matt has returned to work, and we'll be in our own place soon, I am really excited to get some routines going in our day. I guess this is how my mom felt when we were out of school for the Summer. I remember her saying how she couldn't wait for school to start again so we could get back on schedule.
What's so great about schedules? For one thing, they sure make things easier for kids. It gives them security when they know what to expect. Thus, it reduces tantrums and misbehavior. Schedules are very important to kids with autism who find comfort in the expected.
My husband has a nightly routine with Cory. First, Cory gets a bath or we wash hands and face, then brush teeth. Then Cory has to put his pajamas on all by himself. This is still a struggle for him, but he's getting faster! Then they play airplane, where Matt balances Cory on his hands and zooms him around. They play a series of other acrobatic games. Then Matt reads Cory three stories because he is three years old. Then they say prayers, he gives Cory a drink of water and tucks him in.
This routine has been a lifesaver, so it's hard when Matt is working late and I have to put him to bed. I don't, for example, do "airplane" correctly.

The Baby Whisperer, and I'm sorry I don't have an exact reference, says that routines are practice for life. If you want your child to behave at a restaurant, then you need to establish a mealtime routine that you can mimic at a restaurant. If you don't want your child playing around at a restaurant, then don't let them play around during mealtimes at home. Meals are a struggle at our house. I know my kids get hungry before we do and dinner just isn't ready yet. I'm looking forward to having my own house where I'm in control of when we have dinner. I know I've talked about this before, but it's something that is really important, and I'm excited to blog about our progress in the future!