Bedtime Schmedtime

Hallie: "Mommy? 

Me: "Yes, honey?" 

Hallie: "Get me some juice.....(long pause).....MAKE. ME. HAPPY!" (insert furrowed brow and demanding tone)

I think that convo (well, if you can even call it a convo) basically sums up how things have been clicking at bedtime. Or I suppose I should say that's how they haven't been clicking. I was so proud of how well things were chugging along when we first introduced her big girl bed. "Bingo!", I thought. That was the ticket to getting her to fall asleep without putting up a fight. Psssh. Like anything and everything that has to do with parenting, it was only a passing phase....and I'm certain that this phase will be pass soon. (I HOPE!!!) The bedtime train comes to screeching halt every night. The conductors of that train are exhausted by that point. They would like to take off their train conductor hats and kick up their train conductor feet. They certainly don't feel like bargaining, arguing, disciplining the train's tiny passenger. Bathtime goes well. Pajama and teeth brushing time is a huge success as she likes to change pjs five times "brush the yuckies off" at least three times. But that moment we say "time to go to sleep"....well, it's just not good. A clean room quickly turns into a trainwreck with flannel flying and a very difficult stuffed animal selection process that involves tossing the ones that won't make it up into bed with her all around the room. Next comes the part where she asks for her newest addiction: the LeapPad. She's allowed to watch one video, then we read three books, sing two songs and those are the rules. Ba. Ha. Ha. Ha. Rules schmules. At times I terribly miss the crib days where she had no way of escaping her room. We've tried starting the bedtime routine at hour earlier and it always results in her falling asleep at the exact same time. The crazy chic has been staying awake until 10:00 most nights. Stubborn princess. She still uses her usual excuses about crackers and cheesesticks and this and that. She doesn't actually want any of those items nor does she get them. So what does she want?? Well, I'll tell ya. She wants her mom to read 20,483 books and her dad to make her stuffed animals talk and dance. I can't say I blame her....he cracks me up too.... 

Look out for Dora!

Some nights it's a breeze. No shenanigans. No silly excuses. Just a tired sweet girl who falls asleep with her head on her hand. Sigh.....

Other nights it's full of kisses and hugs and thank you's and your welcome's and ooey gooey goodness....

Then there are those nights that involves 100% effort from both parents to force her tired little self to give in and fall asleep. When she looks like she passed out it usually means it was one of those nights.....

It would be wrong to blame all of these bedtime issues on Hal gal. Another very important factor in our nighttime woes is a game Riley and I like to call "bedtime hero." Yes, we are childish and pathetic. But it keeps everyone laughing and smiling. So I know you're just dying to know what ridiculous sort of thing "bedtime hero", right? Well it involves us competing to be the last one to get a kiss/hug/sweet goodnight from Hallie. The last one out of the room is awarded the "bedtime hero" award for the night. No need to tell us...we are aware of how silly this is. But while I'm on the topic....let the record show that I have taken an overwhelming lead over cool dude daddy. It turns out mommy sings the best version of "Tinkle Tinkle." 

I don't really want to end on a "bedtime stinks and gives me a headache every night" note. So here are some sweet, sweet, unforgettable things about our night time routine. One of her favorite books is Llama, Llama, Nighty Night. She has memorized it from front to back and back to front. I don't read it to her anymore...she recites it to me. Hearing a child recite a book?!?! Ahhhh.....I just die. Songs...let's talk about songs. Some nights when I'm super lucky she serenades me with a sweet lullaby....usually rock a bye baby. Row, Row, Row Your Boat is a favorite bedtime song that she likes to sing as well. But my absolute favorite musical moments come when she asks me to sing "You Are My Sunshine" and "pay wif hair." The combo of stroking her pretty hair and my awful voice puts a very, very, very tired Hallie right to sleep.