3:30AM...So anyway I was so involved in telling the story of the incredibly irritating spunkiness, wholesomeness, and cheer of my youngest and I forget that for most kids, 8:30 is, like REM time. As in, sweetly slumbering time.
Ahem. Our kids didn't get the memo about bedtimes.
Madeleine wouldn't go to bed before 11:00PM on a good night when she was a baby. And would get up and go through her day as if she was a normal child who went to bed when normal kids went to bed.
I wasn't just smiling away benignly through this. I Ferberized, Gerberized, and Berberized. I tried the family bed, clutching my head, and pretending to be dead. I believe in discipline, God, Mom, Apple Pie and the USA. Ill behaved brats should be sent to a labor camp. My kids toe the line. I just finally realized that she simply did not need, or want to sleep. Gave her a bottle and put her in the playpen and she'd fall asleep to Nightline.
On the weekends, it worked great! We three hung out like college kids on spring break. Why, I remember this time in Charleston, SC when I actually was on spring break (from my college where I am an actual faculty member) and Mad was 2 1/2 and we all said "let's go for pizza at 10:30 PM!" and we ended up at Mellow Mushroom and all the real college kids were staring at the aging yuppies and tiny Asian chick chowing down on Mega-Veggie pizza at 11:00 PM, chatting animatedly (probably discussing the latest Teletubbie epic) and we just stared back like "hey Mofo, ya got a problem?" Then we all split a pitcher of beer and went back to the motel and slept till like 10:00 AM.
Once Madeleine slept till 12:30 PM on a weekend.
Then Meredith came along and she conked out at like 10:30 PM and we were all like "hey, this one is a total conventional type. We must adjust our night crawling insect ways."
So Mere was 16 months and Mad was 3 1/2 and we went to Black Mountain, NC to stay at this bed & breakfast over New Years and they had a New Year's Eve party and Madeleine and Roger were rocking on the dance floor at 12:30 AM to "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" while I was sullenly swilling champagne, sitting in the lobby, staring at Meredith sleeping in her stroller and wondering why the kid fell asleep at 10:45 when the party was just starting.
Finally I discovered Melatonin and that gets them to bed by 10:00 PM on most nights.
Last night just for an experiment I laid off the melatonin.
The clock struck midnight.
We were all sittin' around chattin' and watching "Drake and Josh". The kids were cheerful, mellow, and wide awake.
The only one who was whining and pitching a fit was Roger- after he saw the USC-Auburn score.
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To all who enjoy this site...
clueless carolina girl has been nominated for Best Dramatic Post for September (for the post named Things). Voting is open through Wednesday. You can vote for her by leaving a comment at this site.
http://mdskidsrbrilliant.blogspot.com/
I wonder if our kids will be night owls like we are.
Ooh and congrats on your nomination!
Catherine was/is a nightowl as well.
School was a rude awakening--she was used to staying up until 11 (Steve and I still got time as a couple--we never shut down until midnight or 1)
Even now, even though her bedtime is 9:00 (with an extra half-hour for reading in bed) she NEVER falls asleep until 10:30. We can put her to bed anytime from 8:00 to 10:25, she's out around 10:30.
Last New Year's Eve? 3:00 AM. Her wussy little friends who were spending the night BARELY made the countdown, Cat stayed up partying with the grownups (the COOL grown-ups, not the ones who passed out at 12:30 because they're lame!)
Good think you are ALL night owls. If my kids want to stay up much past 11, I will just have to hope they don't wreck the house while mommy sleeps.
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