Friday, August 14, 2009

stream of consciousness during a friday would-be naptime






































This morning was full of fun (as exhibited in the pictures above) before Brian left town for the weekend, so it was a given that naptime would be smooth this afternoon.

But we must have forgotten to tell the kids that, because Silas only slept an hour, and Asher isn't asleep yet (after being in bed for almost an hour). Sleep, why hast thou forsaken my home?

Have I mentioned our recent sleep woes? No? Then I shall fill you in.

A#1 - NOBODY TOLD ME POTTY TRAINING INTERRUPTS SLEEP. Rather, bodily functions interrupt sleep, and Asher doesn't seem content with any reasonable method of addressing them. He either a. yells at the top of his lungs until someone rushes in to scoop him up and throw him on the potty ("INEEDTOGOPOTTYINEEDTOGOPOTTYINEEDTOGOPOTTY!" followed by this little self-talk that cracks me up every time - "say it real real loud" - "INEEDTOGOPOTTYINEEDTOGOPOTTYINEEDTOGOPOTTY!!!!"), b. takes off whatever diaper/ pull-up/ underwear combination I had really hoped would work and uses the bathroom in his bed, or c. uses his diaper or pull-up, then calls desperately, "COME CHANGE ME! CHANGE ME! CHANGE ME! I'M WET! CHANGE ME!" Good. Word. There is no good answer to this, and it's becoming a very real sleep issue. He was also, for a while, milking the potty requests, and we were falling for it. We've never had really for real sleep issues in this house, and we're not true cry-it-out-ers at all, so if one of our children calls for us, we respond. It was Sunday night when I woke up at 3:24 a.m. to "Read me 'Frog and Toad' NOW!" that I came to my senses, and said, "NO. Go. To. Sleep." and walked back out. Guess what? He did.

And when it's not one, it's the other. Silas is transitioning his nap schedule, only I haven't gotten a strong handle yet on how to balance his need for a mid-day nap with Asher's need for PHYSICAL EXERTION followed by an early afternoon nap, and my need to occasionally leave the house and, you know, speak to another adult, so Silas is consequently sleep deprived and not napping or sleeping through the night very well.

And I'm slowly losing my mind.

And now I'm asking myself why did I post great fun pictures of my kids playing on one side, then complain about sleep on another? It's the great balance, friends. The tide of toddlerhood - completely enthralling until it's NOT, and they won't just go to sleep already.

Okay I give. Nobody's napping today. We're going to the grocery store. Say a prayer for the other patrons.

3 comments:

Jeff, Carrie Kara Beth, Kaylan and Kaia said...

hey! have you moved asher to a toddler bed yet? that might help with some of the night time potty issues. of course, it also might start a whole new set of night time issues. =)

Lisa said...

Oh, I hear you on the sleep issues. I can only pray that potty training doesn't do that to us. We have enough sleep issues as it is.

Anonymous said...

Are you lifting Asher an hour or two after he goes to bed? Take him to empty his bladder (he will remain asleep but will pee when you get him to the potty). That way he won't wake up needing to pee.