Shenanigans

For our household bedtime seems to bring chaos and meltdowns rather than peace and quiet. Tonight was no different. Doodlebug was not happy about having to miss out on his evening video. So we marched upstairs and laid down. He seemed to be okay with how things were going until he yelled out, "My eyes are watering." I simply told him that he was tired and needed to go to sleep. That didn't help him though and he said, "No there's something wrong." I'm starting to get a little more panicked at the point, but trying to stay calm. So I asked him what the problem was and he calmly says, "I didn't get to watch a video before bed. This is what happens when I don't watch a video." I tried to contain myself, but burst into laughter at his shenanigans.

So after that little detour, I thought Doodlebug had finally calmed downed and was almost asleep until he blurts out, "Mom. I want to have a talk. Let's talk about germs from the beginning." I'm thinking, "How far back do you want to go little man, Biblical times?" At this point it seemed we were never going to sleep so I made a deal that we could discuss germs in detail tomorrow morning for as long as he felt it was necessary. That seemed like a good idea for him he rolled over and soon after fell asleep.

That kid never ceases to amaze me in the detours he creates so he doesn't have to go to sleep. During the day, there is never any indication, but once we say, "Ok, it's time to go upstairs." the melodrama begins. Suddenly, he's thirsty or hungry, then he has to go to the bathroom, then the blankets are right and the pillows are too flat, it's too hot so he has to get undressed to be comfortable. The list goes on and on even to the point of complete ridiculousness. We let him talk for a while, but once we've had enough he gets the shutdown signal, the lights go off. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but at least he knows he's going to have less and less of a chance to stay awake. Once he's all tucked and comfy it doesn't take long for sleep to kick in. It's just that initial push to get him ready for sleep lasts quite a while. 

Luckily, for me he fell asleep fairly quickly and hasn't woken up. I'm hoping he sleeps in for a bit in the morning too just so I can get a good round of sleep myself. I'm hoping Doodlebug gets that great affinity for sleep that so many others do, including myself. I love sleep and really look forward to bedtime each day. Maybe through practice and repetition I can teach Doodlebug the importance of a good night's sleep too. Or he may relish in the grief he gives me while I put him to sleep each night.  

Happy New Year! Pants required.

Whew! We made it through the holidays and are now well on our way into the new year. We had an enjoyable Christmas. Doodlebug made it through his first Christmas program. He participated, though not happily. He looked completely disinterested and a bit upset throughout the entire performance. He basically went through the motions and stomped off stage to make sure we knew how ridiculous this production was  and that he did not appreciate us dressing him up like a fool to sing and dance in front of total strangers. Ah, childhood memories that I will later use against him when he gets his first girlfriend.

Aside from that little charade, everything went pretty smoothly. We spent time with family and friends and generally enjoyed the antics of the season. Doodlebug did have his moments though. Just before Christmas, we were awaiting the arrival of family for a quick visit and so I was preparing the house and Doodlebug. I made sure the food was made, the house was clean and so was Doodlebug. After his customary scrub down, I told him to dry himself off and pick out what he wanted to wear for the evening. I went downstairs to check on some food in the oven while he stayed behind in his room to gather his clothes. 5 minutes went by, then 7 and I began to get suspicious; it shouldn't take this long to grab a few items of clothing. I called up to him and asked, "Did you get your clothes?". He yelled down, "Not yet." I yelled back for him to "Hurry up." and he very earnestly called down, "Do I have to wear pants?". Really? How is that even a question?  No pants? I shook my head and yelled back, "Yes, you have to wear pants!".  This is not a pants optional party; part of the dress code requires that you wear pants. While some folks would like pants to be "a suggestion", the rest of society is glad that is not the case! Luckily, Doodlebug attended the party fully dressed and so did everyone else.