Sleeping Habits

I have to confess. You may already know this. But I'm posting it anyway for posterity.

Our kids have the best sleeping habits. They are both terrific sleepers. They go to bed with relatively little fuss and early. Even if they aren't tired yet, they will go to bed and sing or sneeze or mumble themselves to sleep.

Joel gave up his nap months ago or has it been a year? But he still takes naps on Sunday after lunch. For my sanity's sake, really. And when he does, he gets to stay up for an hour or so after Jamie goes to bed. It's great for us. And usually Harlan has Sunday night rehearsals, so I enjoy having his company.

For many months we were trying to transition them to sleeping together in the same room. We have the bunk beds down side by side with matching linens. They would, like all siblings, talk each other to sleep, wake each other up, get in each others' beds, run around, kick, jump, etc. We thought we were teaching them to bond and be more respectful of each other. But mostly, it was just unpleasant for all.

We were taking two excellent boys who were going to bed in their separate rooms and sleeping happily 12+ hours a night and reducing them to less than 10 hours of sleep and battling a 2+ hour nighttime routine. What were we thinking? This cannot be worth having a guest bedroom and bonded brothers.

So we heeded all our family's advice and put Joel in the guest bedroom. Now, we have harmony again. They go to bed quickly, quietly, peacefully at 6pm, and sleep until 7:30am.

And now, because they are separated, they want to spend their every waking moment together.

Creativity

Do you get credit for creativity if you replicate what someone else has done?

Won'tpower

I'm writing down what I eat each day. Goal: stay under 1500 calories/day.

Oatmeal, blueberries, yogurt: 440
Smoothie: 60
Large potato: 300
8 Chocolate kisses (thank you, VTers): 200
Stirfry: 110
Potatoes: 150
Biscuit: 105
Another biscuit: 105
More kisses, huge bowl of honey bunches of oats and milk: a bajillion

I'm not giving up, just writing down my losses.

A Kiss for You?

Once Upon A Potty

Do you know "Once upon a Potty?" If not, you're really missing out.

Well, just like Joshua, Jamie sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and sat and when he got up, he saw all of his wee wee and poo poo(!) in the toilet. He was very proud. I was proud, too. And Joel was proud.

I won't share the misfortunes of later this morning involving pee on the floor, in the cabinets, on the doors, on the toys, on the wall, on the diapers, on the wipes, on the Q-tips, in the bath, a black eye, a bloody lip, two stubbed toes, and a welt on a cheek.

Suffice to say, we're pleased with Jamie's recent efforts.

(And I humbly add that I deserve a purple heart for locking myself in my little bathroom with my two little boys for two hours this morning.)

Welcome Home!

Conveniently located in our very own living room, this rustic two bedroom home has all anyone could ask for: a picnic table, a playhouse presumably with its own fireplace, a nice fenced in yard, open windows, and a porch.

What?

We're writing a script for a new documentary about hearing loss:

Act 1, Scene 3, the family car.

Jamie: [something incoherent]
Dad: Walking?
Jamie: No, [something incoherent]
Dad: Rockin' and Rollin'?
Jamie: No, [something incoherent]
Dad: Ooooh, a rocket?
Jamie: NOOOO, [something incoherent]
Dad: I just can't hear you. Can you say it louder?
Jamie: ummm... [now, correcting himself] UMMMM... ummmm... [something incoherent]