Effective immediately, my parenting hours are 7am-8pm (at the latest…it’s possible I’ll close up shop at 7pm on some nights).
I will be available afterhours ONLY if there is a natural disaster or someone is throwing up. Natural disasters, or acts of God, do not include calling me into your room because your brother touched your foot, fake coughing so that I will bring you crackers and water in bed (next time, eat your dinner and you won’t be so hungry), or asking me to fetch one of your 46 stuffed animals that you sleep with that you accidentally left downstairs. After bedtime is not a good time to call me back to discuss what you’re saving your money for or how you think you can’t live without eating mac and cheese for lunch tomorrow.
Special note to Jack Henry: baby, I think you’re teething again, just a couple of short weeks after getting your one-year molars. The good news is that after these eye teeth pop through, we’ve only got two-year molars to worry about and then baby teething in this house is finished. Forever. I realize that your mouth pain makes you wake up, but honey, the 5 o’clock hour is still nighttime. So you’re going to have to go back to bed after a few drinks of milk and a dose of Motrin, if that’s what it takes.
Love,
Mom
I am reading this and again, completely relating to you! I woke up this morning, like the thousands of mornings before, sleeping in a “pretzel shape” because both of our children joined us at some point and I had no room and no blankets!
Dear Lord, please help all mothers have restful sleep tonight!
Oh, Angela, I can’t imagine having them in bed with us! Do you have a good chiropractor?
Once they’re put in their beds, they stay there. They just call out before they fall asleep, and then the baby wakes up in the night and needs his paci, or someone is coughing and can’t stop, or…
Ours actually come downstairs, flop on the couch next to us with a big sigh: “I can’t sleep”. No request for help, nothing, just a bald statement. Warm milk is offered, and the little faker is sent back upstairs with his cup.
But it’s so disruptive! There are some times when I like to pretend there are only grownups in this world – that’s generally between 9 and 10 pm – and having one of them intrude on that is frustrating.
I can relate to this in so many ways. Katie is over the teething (for now) – she only has 4 teeth as of yet – so i know this will start in again soon — last night she was up because of her shots…….. if it’s not one thing – it’s another……. (YAWN)………..
Loved this post – gave me a good laugh!
I know I said it before, but the Boy Who Cried Wolf is an excellent story – with a lesson!
With any luck, he is saving his money for a spa day for Mommy. Let him know you accept coupons on lieu of actual cash.
I’m laughing at Laurie’s post because I tried “the boy who cried wolf” story. Then Paige couldn’t go to sleep because she was afraid of wolves. Can’t win.
Yeesh. I guess I never considered the “fear factor”… Sometimes fear is a great motivator, but probably not when it comes to 5 year olds.
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