Monday, February 4, 2008

Bedtime tonight

Bedtime at our house is usually around 7:30. I just walked in from grocery shopping at 7:55. Kids are still running around. I herd them up to bed. Since we moved the boys upstairs, we get creative on various nights about sleeping arrangements. Aaron is a constant motor mouth once the lights go off. He really just WON"T SHUT HIS MOUTH. We have tried everything and we unfortunately get mad at him many nights. So some nights, if Noah REALLY needs his sleep, we put Aaron to bed in our room until one of them falls asleep, and then move him to bed.

But today, Aaron had a nap and Noah doesn't have school tomorrow, so let's put them both to bed upstairs. Here is what follows:

"Mommy, Aaron has a problem" (N)
"Aaron doesn't have a problem" (me)
"I really DO have a problem" (AA)
"What's your problem?"
"I keep falling off my bed" (AA)
"So, stop falling off your bed"
"I can't" (AA)
"So put your blankets on the floor and sleep down there"
"Okay" (run back to bed) (AA)
"Can I sleep on the floor?" (N)
"No"
"But my frog (stuffed animal) keeps falling on the floor" (N)
"Fine, sleep on the floor"

Steve is starting to get mad but the comment from Noah was so predictable that I start laughing.

Two miliseconds later, Aaron is back to the top of the stairs

"Mommy, I need water" (AA)
"Back to bed"

I close the door to upstairs

"Mommy, I want to watch a movie" (AA) (In all fairness, AA sometimes does get a short Baby Einstein on days he takes a nap.)

UGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I now intend to ignore any words that come from upstairs. I am still contemplating moving one of them back downstairs into the spare room but I know I will really miss having a playroom.

Okay, now I just had a Bad Mommy Moment. I ran up the stairs making loud feet. He ran back to his bed without looking back. I wonder if we're done yet.

In the last five minutes, I went through and did my spell check. I mentioned in my very first post that I was a bad typist. I haven't heard a sound.

Oh, a scream from the top of the stairs. It is now 8:24... one hour past when they were supposed to be in bed. Breathe Kristi!

The frustrating thing is that Noah knows better than to do this behavior and I feel like if I don't follow through a punishment, then Noah sees Aaron getting away with this. Steve wants me to go DO something but I don't think so. Let's just keep waiting.

I think I'll go look at some other posts and wait until. Stay tuned.....

While waiting for Aaron to fall asleep, I just thought I'd share this that I just found on Sorta Crunchy's blog. Very cool!

Wow... Fun With Linking...thanks Deb for helping through my roadblock.

8:33...Not much sound yet but there's no way I'm going up there to look. I think I'll go blog-surfing some more...

Found out Amber was sick...hope you feel better soon.

8:39... Steve says he keeps hearing things but I don't hear anything. I figure if he's at least not at the top of the stairs, he'll eventually get bored. I wonder where they'll finally fall asleep.

I remember when it used to be like this:

The reason I like these two pictures is because both of them were taken about three years ago, Noah on the top and Aaron on the bottom. Notice that they both have one arm behind their head. They still both sleep this way...and so does their Daddy. Isn't that cute?









It is now 8:53. I don't hear anything. I wonder...

8:57...Oop...I just heard a Noah whisper and feet across the floor... Steve's mad...he's heading up the stairs.

8:59...I hear crying...that means AA's ready to give up...I hope...

9:03...the threat has just been made
"Maybe it's time to separate rooms again"
"NOOOOO!!" (both AA and N)

10:13 I just got out of the bath (nowhere near hot enough) and checked. Two sweet, sleeping cherubs snuggled IN their beds, under their covers, with their arms around their buddies (stuffed animals). Every night is different. Some nights are perfect...no sound...instant sleep. Others are a struggle.

However, once they're asleep...all I see is how amazing these little boys are and I make a promise to do better for them tomorrow.

Good Night My Angels.

11 comments:

Hillary said...

WOW! What a night! I'm glad they finally went to sleep!

~Lisa said...

I LOVE tip-toeing in to my kids' rooms while they're sleeping(especially after a night like you described!). It always reminds me of their innocence...and how much I love them!

Great blog!
~Lisa
http://www.MyLittleRembrandt.blogspot.com

Chrissy said...

Glad they went to sleep! I'll be putting my two girls together (hopefully soon since the youngest is in our room).

I'm sure there will be nights like this in store for me, but I think the closeness between them that will come from sharing a room will be so worth it!

Melissa G said...

Hi Kristi,
Thanks so much for taking the time to visit our blog and leave a comment. It's so fun to know who has visited and what they thought.
So you've got two little boys to keep up with! I can't wait for that day in our family. =) Little boys are so much fun!
I was reading your last post about the difficult time you've been going through. I just want to remind you that no matter how the "world" sees you or what other people think of you, you are God's precious child and His beautiful TREASURE. Sometimes I find it really easy to look to others for my worth and meaning but that can't compare with the identity we have in Christ. As long as we are pleasing, obeying, and honoring Him that's all that matters.
Opps, now this is turning into a "book" of my own. =) Hope everything works out soon for you all.

Deb said...

That sounds so very familiar from when we moved Abby and Hannah in together... I'd give it a while longer - it took the girls at least a month or two before they would settle down and go to sleep right away...

We had a yo-yo, up and down Becca last night too - but it doesn't help when Daddy gets home while she's still awake and she can hear him out in the living room... I think it was after 10pm for her too.

Thanks for the call yesterday - it was nice to be checked up on... :) Back at work today, but still miserable, so I'm going in to the doctor in a little while to see if it's 'just a virus' or something else.

MomOf4 said...

Bedtime can be the hardest time of the day. This is a great post! Kids have the greatest ability to stall!

Courtney said...

Sounds like bedtime in our house just a couple of months ago. We seperated so good for you for sticking with it.

Lindy said...

LOL! It all becomes worth it once those eyes finally close, doesn't it? I've often commented to Ken, "It's a good thing God made them look so sweet while they're sleeping..." : )

Mir said...

SO glad to hear we're not the only ones suffering from sleeping problems!! We just keep praying ours settle down for a few weeks of uninterrupted sleep before we add another child, and many more months of sleepless nights, to the mix!!

Mom said...

Hi there this is the first time I have dropped by. I have ritual/dance every night it drives me crazy. And my son now knows the power of Poop! He comes to us after he goes to bed and say he has to poop know that we don't want him to go in his pull up, he only wears it at night. Ah the joys of being a mom to a 3 year old! Have a great day!

Dreams and Designs said...

Now matter how rough a day, watching my "sleeping angel" makes it all better!!!!