bedtime routines....pantuflas.
I was having a conversation with a friend today and she described how her husband, after working hard all day, will put on his slippers when he is finished for the day. Donning his slippers is the signal that he is done for the day. If a friend calls and invites him out, his wife has heard him say "no thank you, I have my slippers on". One of the Spanish words for slippers is pantuflas. It's a fun word to say.....pantuflas. Say it with me. "No, sorry, I can't take the garbage out or meet you for drinks or pick up the yard....I have my pantuflas on."
What a great concept. What a great routine. Some of us have this routine. We end our day in a certain way that signals our choice to be done for the day. Some people need to wipe down the counters, mop the floors, tidy up. Some need to shower, mud mask their face, condition their hair. Some need to do other rituals, such as walk around the house checking that all the doors are locked, all the windows shut, etc. We all have some version of putting on the pantuflas.
With our children at home, we have a bedtime routine that usually involves a snack, some quiet time watching a show, then going to the bathroom, putting on jammies, reading a story, saying prayers and then listening to the Bethel music station of Pandora. No matter who tucks them in at night, these are the pantuflas they need so say good-bye to the day and finish it.
Consider when and how you put on your pantuflas. If you don't do so, try it. For me, I am usually hot. It's less about pantuflas (I wore mine out this past winter and they have holes anyway. I will definitely buy new ones next fall!) and more about changing my clothes into something more comfortable. I take off the wardrobe of the day and wear something that only the people who live with me need to see. I need to check the schedule for the next day to make sure I am prepared and have all the ducks in a row. Sometimes I make sack lunches. Sometimes I wash soccer uniforms or chapel t-shirts or whatever someone needs in the morning. Often I will take meat out of the freezer to thaw for the next day and then when all of the ducks are in a row, I like to settle into my big comfy bed that is piled high with pillows. I might watch a program, or do some writing, or listen to music. Slowly and deliberately I remove myself from the day and yield to the night and a time of rest and relaxation.
We all need to gain a sense of this......pantuflas. We need to find our way to the end of the day and bless the transition out of it and into the evening.....put on the pantuflas. Wear them and enjoy the act of saying "no more" this day. This day has done enough.
What a great concept. What a great routine. Some of us have this routine. We end our day in a certain way that signals our choice to be done for the day. Some people need to wipe down the counters, mop the floors, tidy up. Some need to shower, mud mask their face, condition their hair. Some need to do other rituals, such as walk around the house checking that all the doors are locked, all the windows shut, etc. We all have some version of putting on the pantuflas.
With our children at home, we have a bedtime routine that usually involves a snack, some quiet time watching a show, then going to the bathroom, putting on jammies, reading a story, saying prayers and then listening to the Bethel music station of Pandora. No matter who tucks them in at night, these are the pantuflas they need so say good-bye to the day and finish it.
Consider when and how you put on your pantuflas. If you don't do so, try it. For me, I am usually hot. It's less about pantuflas (I wore mine out this past winter and they have holes anyway. I will definitely buy new ones next fall!) and more about changing my clothes into something more comfortable. I take off the wardrobe of the day and wear something that only the people who live with me need to see. I need to check the schedule for the next day to make sure I am prepared and have all the ducks in a row. Sometimes I make sack lunches. Sometimes I wash soccer uniforms or chapel t-shirts or whatever someone needs in the morning. Often I will take meat out of the freezer to thaw for the next day and then when all of the ducks are in a row, I like to settle into my big comfy bed that is piled high with pillows. I might watch a program, or do some writing, or listen to music. Slowly and deliberately I remove myself from the day and yield to the night and a time of rest and relaxation.
We all need to gain a sense of this......pantuflas. We need to find our way to the end of the day and bless the transition out of it and into the evening.....put on the pantuflas. Wear them and enjoy the act of saying "no more" this day. This day has done enough.
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