Gina's Whimsical World

and when she speaks

Tuesday, July 24, 2007
8:28 PM

Bedtime is still the pitts!

If you look up exercise in futility, epitomy of frustration, stark raving nuts or any other such phrase in the dictionary and you'll see me and my brood fighting over bedtime. Why is it that we spend so much time fighting sleep as kids and begging for it as adults? Could it be that my kids are truly some sort of succubus that steal the very energy from my body to fuel their own? There has to be a reason they continually fight to outlast me. Three against one is never a fair fight even when according to them I am the nastiest meanest person not only on earth but in the universe. I rank. Frequently I remind them never to forget it either! Last night, I remind them 45 minutes before bedtime to grab that last snack and brush. We repeat the same verbage at 30 minutes and 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, I'm told I am a nag ... so then we're down to 10 minutes. The oldest then proceeds to pull the injured card and shows me a nasty blood blister on the back of his knee. Which turns into more of an argument on which body part it is as it's not his knee. According to he who knows everything his knee cap is contained within other tissues so the back of his leg that bends is technically not his knee. Why am I even having this discussion? Other than it's now 5 minutes to bedtime. So off he goes into the tub for a long soak and some unwanted medical intervention. DS2 decides I'm unfair as he cannot stay up to watch the blood blister get popped or get a snack so he stomps into his room, slams the door, turns off the light and proceeds to show out just long enough to step on a light bulb in the dark. Nothing like the slam of a door, followed by the shattering of glass and the panicked "Mom" to bring out the sarcastic in me. But I refrained. So now I have one in the tub, one standing in a dark room amidst shattered glass and DD begins screaming that the shampoo is in her eyes and it's not the kid kind. Great - we skip the 4.00 shampoo and go straight for the salon stuff. So ... who do you choose .. I figure #1 and #3 are in water - they're screaming demands rather loudly and they can swim ... so we're off to rescue #2. Shards of glass embedded in the heel of one foot, blood and glass in the carpet and one semi-repentant child. I get him doctored up, confirm no one has drowned simply by listening to the ever increasing demands and start on the floors. Only to find that if a Hurricane ever hits we'll be fine living with the ants in DS2's room. Yep - Ants .. as if we didn't have enough of those in the shower walls ... DS2 has decided to collect them by sharing the food he has hoarded under the bed. So not only am I cleaning up glass and body fluids, I get to clear out the food cache worthy of the homeless shelter pantry and fight the ants. Apparently, he's tired of DS1 and DD getting all the good snacks, so he's setting up his own personal stash. I so do not starve my kids! So .. DS2 is now sufficiently treated medically, the food storages are removed and it's back to the other two. Although I don't have far to go as they have both exited their respective showers to stand gaping in the hall, dripping on the wood floors, wrapped in towels at the never ending food supply. "So you ate all the whatevers".. "you're a "fill in the blank" and so it goes. As you can guess .... it is now well beyond the bedtime hour. Head's are still wet, two are wounded and one is just going for the drama. I am waiting for the old candid camera crew to jump out and everyone to start razzing me .. but no, it's just another day in my paradise. I hated bedtime as a kid, I still dread it now but for totally different reasons. The only thing that keeps me sane is knowing that one day, I'll wish this on them with their own kids.. and when they call me to complain, I'll commiserate and head off to bed with a smile on my face!

Your thoughts?
0 comments
0 Comments:

Post a Comment