Bedtime for Bonzos
This weekend, we inherited two kids for a night - a 7yr old girl and a 9 yr old boy. Before I go any further, I really do need to say that these kids are awesome - truly hilarious, wide-open, entertaining offspring of two of the coolest people in our church.
But they're still kids, and that's a fish I'm just not ready to fry.
It was really fun being parents for a night, until bedtime. We finally started wrapping up "Shrek 2" on Xbox around 10:30, and then trudged upstairs, where G timed them each brushing their teeth for a full 2 minutes. Then, into pjs for the girl (the boy just crawled - well, jumped - into bed fully clothed) and lights out.
Too dark. Fortunately, I come from a long line of night-lighters, and I have several miniature plug-in lightbulbs for just such an occasion. Better? Good.
After lying in my own bed for approximately 1.5 minutes, I hear a very unnerving crash in the other room, and then, pitter-patter, knock-knock-kncok. "Hey, Rachel, look what I found!"
I should say that the stuffed animal that she found was not the first thing she discovered that night that I had forgotten about - earlier she found our candy basket. Yep. Sugar + Children + Darkness = not much sleeping for Rachel.
A half-hour later, I busted up the giggle-fest - "I know that the only way that y'all will calm down is if a grown-up is in here with you, so I'll lay here on the floor until you fall asleep."
"I'm not sleepy."
"Okay, then count to 100."
"I have the hiccups."
"Okay, then hold your breath."
"It's not working."
"I'm done counting - now what?"
Alright. I seem to remember several chapters of The Chronicles of Narnia doing the trick for me when I was younger. Except my parents were way too smart to let me find the candy basket an hour before bedtime.
After 3 chapters with Lucy, Edmund, Susan, Peter and Mr. Tumnus, they were finally drowsy enough for me to go back to my bed. I have no idea what time they fell asleep, but they were all in their places with bright shiny faces the next morning at 7:30. Playing Xbox. Probably re-discovering the candy basket.
I have a lot to learn...
But they're still kids, and that's a fish I'm just not ready to fry.
It was really fun being parents for a night, until bedtime. We finally started wrapping up "Shrek 2" on Xbox around 10:30, and then trudged upstairs, where G timed them each brushing their teeth for a full 2 minutes. Then, into pjs for the girl (the boy just crawled - well, jumped - into bed fully clothed) and lights out.
Too dark. Fortunately, I come from a long line of night-lighters, and I have several miniature plug-in lightbulbs for just such an occasion. Better? Good.
After lying in my own bed for approximately 1.5 minutes, I hear a very unnerving crash in the other room, and then, pitter-patter, knock-knock-kncok. "Hey, Rachel, look what I found!"
I should say that the stuffed animal that she found was not the first thing she discovered that night that I had forgotten about - earlier she found our candy basket. Yep. Sugar + Children + Darkness = not much sleeping for Rachel.
A half-hour later, I busted up the giggle-fest - "I know that the only way that y'all will calm down is if a grown-up is in here with you, so I'll lay here on the floor until you fall asleep."
"I'm not sleepy."
"Okay, then count to 100."
"I have the hiccups."
"Okay, then hold your breath."
"It's not working."
"I'm done counting - now what?"
Alright. I seem to remember several chapters of The Chronicles of Narnia doing the trick for me when I was younger. Except my parents were way too smart to let me find the candy basket an hour before bedtime.
After 3 chapters with Lucy, Edmund, Susan, Peter and Mr. Tumnus, they were finally drowsy enough for me to go back to my bed. I have no idea what time they fell asleep, but they were all in their places with bright shiny faces the next morning at 7:30. Playing Xbox. Probably re-discovering the candy basket.
I have a lot to learn...
posted by Rachel @ 10:58 PM
2 Comments:
At 9/03/2006 9:07 PM ,
j kelly said...
It's really weird to read about you being a parent (even if it is just for a single night). Are you really old enough to do that yet? Sounds like you handled the circumstances well.
And thank god for the night-light. That got me through many nights during my childhood years.
At 9/07/2006 10:51 PM ,
Anonymous said...
Ohmigosh, all I have to say is, "What goes around comes around."
Heh heh...
Love, Mom
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