Bedtime struggles....

I can sum up bedtime with one long exasperated sigh.

Hhhhhhphphphphsssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

That is how it feels.

Piper is a super sleeper. It's jammies, baba, bear, blanky, lights out, see you in 12 hours.

Bode is much the same. Except he is sharing a room with Laine for the time being. Laine. Laine, Laine, Laine. She fights sleep like the plague. She is up and down. Screaming, laughing, singing or crying. It is exhausting. Not just for her but for everyone. Why is it that kids push you the hardest when you are tired, worn out and done for the day? Jer has worked the swing shift for as long as we have been living in the valley. So for 5+ years I have done the night time routine by myself 4 or more times a week. I am not complaining about Jeremiah's job. We are both very grateful that he has a job that supports us. It would just be nice to have an extra set of hand (to force Laine to stay in her bed).

It is like she wants to get in trouble so she can cry herself to sleep. We keep consistent bed times and routines. We sing a song, say a prayer and its lights out. For awhile I let her play her leap-pad to relax. That worked for a bit but not anymore. 

I have noticed that her going to school every afternoon has helped. She is ready to go to bed. She still pulls her little stunts but they don't last as long. 

All that being said, she is a sweet little girl. She prefers to wear skirts everyday. She loves to run errands with me. Laine is learning the primary songs and can sing a few of them by heart. She mostly just sings random church type words to little tunes. She like me to do her hair. She asks for "pink-tails" everyday. I love her. ne day we will figure out how to make bed time go more smooth.