I've blogged more than once about Annie's stalling techniques for bedtime.
Seems Ellie's picked up a thing or two.
Ellie was still freaking out in bed late the other night, when I went in to calm her down. She (using her brilliant homemade sign language) insisted I kiss her cheek before I left. I kissed her right cheek, patted her head, laid her back down and left the room. Only to return a minute later, as a screaming Ellie was bellowing for me. There she stood at the edge of her crib, pointing at her left cheek and sobbing, "Mama! Mama!" Apparently I'd forgotten that side.
(Sleep is still a tough one at our house -- ever since the cursed Day Light Savings -- both girls can be rubbing their eyes and barely able to stay awake, we can have them in bed, read to and teeth brushed by 7:15. Yet, the majority of nights, we have two screaming or happily talkative children (it changes, but either way, they're awake) annoying the crap out of us at 9PM. Which means all three of us girls are all overly tired and frustrated and grumpy the next day. Some nights we separate them, putting Ellie back into the nursery -- which works for that night, but doesn't get us any closer to them being able to get to sleep while sharing a room. (Which, I should mention, they'd mastered BEFORE Day Light Savings came along and screwed everything up.) The other night a bleary eyed, slightly nauseous, pregnant Mom threatened Annie that if she said ONE. MORE. WORD. to her little sister to keep her awake, she would have to sleep in the hall that night on the floor. True to my cranky word, Annie spent that night in her sleeping bag in the hall outside her bedroom for having dared try speaking to her little sister again about five minutes after my warning. There's a possibility Annie's been a bit better since then, but it had little effect on Ellie, which means Ellie just chatters on, keeping poor nearly-silent Annie awake. I'm completely and totally out of ideas, and at this point have just resigned myself to the idea of this is just a phase (a horrid, awful phase) that I'll just wait 'til they grow out of. 'Cause there doesn't seem to be anything else I can do.)
3 comments:
I feel your pain. Bedtime is not fun at all at our house either. Both my boys find themselves in my bed most nights. I treasure my sleep more than fighting to get them into their beds. I'm going with it being a horrible phase as well .. wish us all luck!!
Would it help if they couldn't see each other?- What about mounting a curtain (or sheet) from the ceiling and pulling it open at night?
There are times when I have actualy considered buying black shades or even just black poster board and fitting it to his windows to block out that cursed nighttime daylight!
You are a mean mommy! Making Annie sleep in the hall. Didn't she use to do that on her own a while ago. At least you follow through. :)
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