Heading into this week, perhaps my biggest shortcoming as a father had been my inability to perform every component of L’s pre-bed sequence by myself. Sure, I had managed each of the tasks adequately, but never all of them in succession, and never in the same night.

That is, until Wednesday.

Tonight, while flying solo with the kid, I was forced to snap into action and perform the ritual by myself. Miraculously, I knocked off the following tasks:

• Pre-bath change
• Bath
• Post-bath drying/lotion session
• Pajama party
• Post-pajama bottle
• Ritualistic shushing to sleep

Together, these tasks are a small victory for many. But for this dad, completing the entire routine was a major milestone. We accomplished everything with no tears (of L’s) and minimal sweats (of mine). Even more impressive: The entire rigmarole took no more than 30 minutes, which is only about ten minutes longer than the process usually takes my wife.

I’ll be tackling the pre-bed sequence more and more in coming weeks, preparation for four days in early August when Powergirl jets off to New York and I’ll be hanging with L all alone. More nights like this and that trip will be a piece of cake. Bring it on.