The Night-time Circus

So I have dubbed the nights at my house "The Circus".  It is a 2-ring act with alternating performances. See the showtimes below:

8pm: Start discussing bedtime with Jace.
 "Time to start calming down."
"NO! I don't wanna go ni-ni!" *a flurry of activity follows to prove that he isn't tired, including jumping, stomping, car racing, and the hokey-pokey. Logan eggs him on.*
"I'm not sleepy!"
"Let's get your jammies on."
"NO! I don't want jammies!"
“Do you want the car shirt or the train shirt?”
"I want a cookie"
"I want apple juice"
“You can have water.”
"I don't want water!"
(Jace’s words are in bold to emphasize the fact that he cannot speak softly. Ever.)

9pm: Logan is bawling.  Feed Logan. Put him to bed.  Tiptoe out of the bedroom and shut the door.  Ahh, one down, one to go.

9:15pm: Jace's laps up and down the hallway wake up Logan. (Think of the noise an adult hippopotamus would make if it ran inside your house.)   Look for Logan's paci. Move Logan's crib 4 feet to find the paci. Turn on Logan's music.  Hopefully Logan will go back to sleep.  Ahh, one down again.  Still one to go.

9:30pm: “Let’s brush your teeth.”
“I don’t wanna brush my teeth.”
"If you don't brush your teeth I will take away your cars."
"I want my cars!"
"Ok, brush your teeth."
"My do it."
How clean are the teeth?  I dunno.  We’ll see what the dentist says whenever I finally have time to take Jace to the dentist.

9:35pm: "Mama, it's dark out?"
"Yes, it's dark out." 
"I want it sunny out!"
"Well, if you sleep, it will get sunny." 
"You lay down with me?"
"Okay."

10:00pm: Mama and Jace asleep in Jace's twin bed.

1:00am: Mama wakes up and goes to Mama and Daddy's bed with a sore back from the twin bed.

1:05am: Apparently Logan has super hearing, and even though I QUIETLY tiptoed out of the kids’ room, Logan wakes up.  Logan comes in Mama & Daddy's bed.

3:00am: Mama wakes up.  Jace is sleeping in Mama & Daddy's bed with his leg draped over Logan.  No idea how he got there.  Put Logan back in his crib.  Leave Jace in our bed.

4:30am: Logan wakes up screaming his head off.  Try to find the paci.  It's behind his crib again. Move the crib, give him the paci, turn the music on, walk back to M & D's bed.  Still screaming. Get back out of bed. Logan comes back to M & D's bed. Logan eats.

5:00am: Put Logan back in his bed.

6:00am: Alarm goes off. Press snooze until 6:35am.

6:45am: Sneak out of the house so as not to wake up any children.

7:00am: Work starts.


And Jace didn't even wet the bed in that scenario.
I don't need sleep anymore.  I don't even feel tired today! (But don't try to cross me before I have had some coffee.)

People say that the baby years go by so fast.  This is because you don't sleep for the first 2 years of a child's life.  Basically, it is one long day that lasts a couple years with a few naps thrown in.  "All the live-long day" takes on a new meaning.

Embrace it!

**PS: thanks to my cousin for finding the humor in her night-time circus.  You helped me find the humor in mine.**

babies

"Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience, you are raising a human being."
-Kittie Frantz

"We worry about what a child will be tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."
-Proverb

As previously mentioned, I have two kids. Jace is 2-1/2 and Logan is almost 6 months.  If you would have asked me when I graduated college what my life would be like in 4 years, I never would have dreamed that I would have two children.  I didn't even like kids! I never babysat, didn't have any siblings or cousins that were babies when I was old enough to remember it, and if I came across a small child that I was supposed to talk to, it was a totally awkward moment for me and probably for anyone watching.

Then along came Jace.  Clearly I decided that kids weren't too bad, because now Logan is here.

A few minutes ago I was laying on the couch with Logan sitting on my lap.  He was sort of babbling and yelling at me and you could tell he was bored. He made a big screech and suddenly I screeched back at him- and his eyes lit up! He did it again with a different tone, and I copied.  We played like this for a few more reps. You could just see the wheels turning in his head: she can speak my language!!  What an awesome thing for a parent to watch!  My baby just turned into a person! (It sounds bad that way, but come on, how much personality does a newborn have?)

Part of my New Year's resolution to "embrace the day" is to pay more attention to my kids.  I don't mean that I don't feed them, clothe them, bathe them, etc.  What I mean is that at the end of a day of work, it is easy to zone out into the TV or phone or computer with your kid on your lap.  This year, I will make an earnest effort to read stories, race cars, play patty cake, and sing "Rock-a-bye-bye" as Jace calls it.  These baby years go by fast- I better embrace them while I can!!!
(Quotes were taken from the January 2012 issue of American Baby)

Dreams of the day...

I am blessed with a wonderful husband, two cute-as-can-be kids, two (mildly annoying) dogs, two fish (they have an automatic feeder), a fixer-upper house, and a full-time job.  At this time, my blessings do not include a maid, a nanny, a dog sitter, or a cook.  Or even a robot-vacuum.

Some nights, I collapse in bed less than eight (or seven, or six) hours before I have to get up for work and lull myself to sleep with dreams. Dreams of the day when I won't run around like a headless chicken every night after work.  Dreams of the day when the kids can get their own pajamas on.  Dreams of the day when I can afford a maid to do the laundry, and a cook to make dinner.

Suddenly it hit me: this IS life.  This IS the day.  Why not embrace it? 

Beginning in 2012, I will embrace the day.  And I will document it's craziness on this blog.  My hope is, if nothing else, I will make someone else laugh and learn to embrace their day.