It's Bed Time

We have a very strict bedtime routine in our home. Not only for my sanity but also because the kids function better when they can predict what is going to happen next. They bath, have supper, pray, either read or do a relaxation exercise or I sing a lullaby for them. It works so well that they are usually asleep by 8pm every weeknight.

On the weekend however, I bend the routine a bit. Bedtime is not as structured and I let them watch a little more TV than usual. But I think that privilege is going to be put on hold for the next few weeks. 

This is how last Friday went:

Liam and I left early in the morning, as I needed to be home early in the afternoon for Aspens school activities. When I picked him up from school in the afternoon, he had complained that his tummy hurt. When we got home, he totally forgot about his tummy because his friend was at the fun day and they played together for the rest of the afternoon.

So hubby goes to work later in the day and we settle in for burgers and a movie. About ten minutes before the movie ends, I remind them that it would be bedtime once the movie ended. We do this all the time, and they already know what to expect when they hear me say this. But yet, they were surprised. For some reason, they did not feel tired enough by 10pm to warrant going to bed. Even Aiden.

Once the movie ended, I got up to make a bottle for Aiden and to give them some time to make there way to bed. What I walked into should really not have surprised me, but it did. Aspen was crying quite emotionally on her bed. When I asked why she was crying, she muttered ‘My heart is sore, because I was sick at school and I was sneezing’. All I could do was laugh. Not only does being exhausted make them emotional, but they become irrational at the same time. That was not the confusing bit though

Aiden, who is now 18 moths old and should probably not know as many words as he does, kept calling out ‘MAAAA Sore, MAAA sore’ Pointing toward one of his fingers. At this point, I think anybodies patience would start to wear thin.

Liam was sitting in the corner of the room, also crying, coincidently. Frustrated, I asked him why he was not going to bed and why on earth after being completely happy in front of the TV, was he now a ball of tears. ‘My tummy hurts’ he said.

Now see, there, I am lost for words. He had a tummy ache when I picked him up earlier in the day which miraculously disappeared, and reappeared all of a sudden at bedtime. How does that work? Does the power of healing have a time limit, or does the tummy pain have a trigger? I am sure for all kids; the word SLEEP can trigger the strangest of ailments.

There are a few things I will never understand about children too though:

1 They refuse to wake up for school, but are up at 6:30am on a Saturday morning.

2 They will use any excuse to stay out of bed, even doing chores

3 And they can do the most adorable and amazing things, until you want to show them off.

Aren’t they supposed to provide us with some kind of reward for just having them? I mean, I went through two surgeries, total exposure of my lady parts to people I have never met, on numerous occasions and have given away what used to be a great asset on my body; which I am still being harassed for by someone who cant even wipe his own butt.

Yes, you are right, its hard being a mother, and even harder being a mother of four, different emotional needs, wants, desires, toilet times, food preferences and people who are at the age where colors determine how superior being male or female is. 

It’s a FULL TIME job.

There have been a ton of rewards, honestly, but I really cant wait to remind them about this when they reach their teens and most of all, when their kids do this to them.

Hahahahahahahaha!

Mwah