Pajama Time

I started singing Pajama Time to Kyle at 6:55pm tonight. For those who haven't heard it, the song goes, "Pajama Time, from my head to my toes to my nighttime clothes (repeat)." For those who have heard it, sorry to have it stuck in your head! He was in the bath and I was trying to encourage him to finish up. He kept insisting, "five more minutes, I'm playing in my pool!"

Eventually I encouraged him out of the bathtub and into his nighttime clothes and we proceeded to head upstairs. It's now 8:38pm and he is FINALLY asleep. I think we are going to have to rethink his bedtime. I have started to notice a pattern. We used to put him to bed at 7:30pm and he'd lay down ever so sweetly and drift off to sleep after about 3 minutes. Well in the past month, he's realized that if he says he needs to go potty, then we let him go. Three times. That is the limit and he usually somehow manages to get something out three times. Then in the past week he has figured out that if he opens his door and asks for a hug and a kiss, Mommy will usually oblige him because who can pass up a request like that? Add in to that, a usual request for "cold ice water", yes it has to be cold ice water instead of just ice water or heaven forbid, hot ice water. I usually remember that one on the way up so it rarely comes up anymore, but every so often I fail to bring it up. He also has decided that our little song ritual includes song #2 which we have dubbed "Lullaby" even though I don't think that's the name of it and song #3 which is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on his cd. So I usually end up staying for those two songs (after our three trips to the bathroom) but before the request for a hug and a kiss. So our 7:30pm bedtime has somehow stretched to 8pm when it used to literally be 7:35pm.

And then tonight he decided that he's just not tired. Oh and there was too much stuff in his bed. And he's going to sleep in Mom's bed. And well, he's just not tired, so he's not going to bed at all. Ugh! Daddy tried laying down with him. No luck. Then I went in there just plain mean and said "if you don't stay in that bed, you are getting a spanking. It's not your choice to get out of bed. Once we go to bed, you stay there!" So I sat down in his rocker after I tucked him in because I figured I'd stay for a couple of songs and see if he settled down. The next thing I know he is getting out of bed, AGAIN. "Do you REALLY want a spanking?" "No, Mommy, I want to rock-a-bye." Aww. My little guy wants to cuddle up and be rocked to sleep. Two songs and he was down for the count. But I think we're going to have to move bedtime to 8pm from now on.