The 6pm Bedtime

When you have kids, time changes are ROUGH. Nobody is happy for several days afterwards.

This past Saturday night before the fall back, we had a Greek dinner party at our house. Mommy and Daddy were having so much fun, ummm, drinking wine that we looked up and it was 10:15pm! Oooops! To the childrens' credit, they were having a great time laughing and playing with one of the guests....I am pretty sure they reached the hyper-tired state where everything makes them giggle.

We shuffled them upstairs to bed at 10:30 and rejoined the party until everyone left our house at 1am. Staying up that late makes me feel young and exciting, not like the SAHM and wife.

On Sunday, Nora was a disaster. Whine, whine, and more whine. And mommy and daddy's bodies just wanted to be lazy because of the wine, wine and more wine from the night before. We begged her to lay down for a nap, tried the lay down for a movie trick...nothing worked.

Nonni and Dohm, the grandparents, came over for dinner at 5:15. So grateful for the Chinese take-out they brought simplifying Sunday night dinner.

Nora started complaining about just wanting to go to bed at 5:45pm. She doesn't like Chinese, but had eaten a third of her dinner.

Now, she's tried this trick before to get out of eating dinner. After stories she will say she's changed her mind, she's not tired.

This was NOT the night to pull this. We called her bluff. She got down and gave the grandparents kisses goodnight. Then asked if someone would read books with her.

The reply, 'I'm sorry hon, but it is dinner time right now. If you want snuggles and a book you can wait until we are done eating. There will be no tv or playtime if you go upstairs. You said you were tired, you may sit in your bed and look at books if you want.''

''ok, mommy and daddy'' Didn't here another peep out of her.

The grandparents left around 6:15 and I went to check on Nora. Imagine my surprise when I came around the corner to darkness in her room. Quietly, opened the door to a sleeping child in the covers.

And what is that!

She cleaned up her room before bed like we always ask, without being told! All the legos were put away safely.

Night light was on.

And to top it off, she turned on her humidifier for herself! She told us this morning she remembered it helps her with her breath at night. (She has a bad cold)

My girl is getting so big! How did this happen! We are so proud of you for the responsible little girl you are becoming.