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.