How do you get a 34 month old girl to stay in bed? How to do you get her SISTER (who is really really tired) to stay in bed? When you have toddler beds (no cribs)? And you can get up and turn the lights on (NO child-proof light switches anywhere in the world) and jump around?
Want to know how to stop spending over an hour each night, singing, yelling, threatening, just putting them physically back in bed? How to actually get an hour or so of alone time with your sweetie at night?
You invited the Blessed Blessed Bedtime Fairy to your home.
Last night, it came to me as I knelt beside Ellie's bed. (Ashley was half asleep already - once she is gone, she is a GREAT sleeper!).
"Ellie, do you know about the bedtime fairy? If you stay in your own bed ALL night long, sometimes the Bedtime Fairy comes and leaves you a present under your pillow in the morning."
"Really? A present?" She lifts up the pillow.
"Yes, a present. But you have to STAY in your OWN bed ALL night."
"OK."
Blessed blessed blessed Bedtime Fairy. Feel free to borrow her (you might want to leave out the blessed blessed part when you explain it to your small child.)
She stay in there ALL night and sure enough, there was a present under some pillows this morning. So we went to blow bubbles first thing this morning in the garage (because it snowed all day - but not much). I even made a trip out this evening to get more presents. And she had been in bed with NO fuss tonight (Ashley went to bed without complain, ASKING to go to sleep at 6:54 p.m., so who are we to say no? (no nap)) YAH!
On a spring note, I finished spring-cleaning the kitchen today. I opened the cupboard (note: where I, two sisters, three friends and my hubby had searched 14 times) and out popped the K.itchen Aid paddle. Oh well, at least I have a back up now.
And all this spring cleaning (and delivery boxes from Josh) have STUFED our trash cans. Seriously, I took three boxes elsewhere after cleaning this morning to dump in someone else's can. And there are three bags sitting in the garage, waiting for Wednesday morning, so I can go out and stick them in the neighbor's trash. Should we get two cans? UGH!
