Go To Sleep My Darling Child

Fred and I have been switching nights to put the twins to bed.  They like having mama tuck them in cause I will cuddle with them until they fall asleep.  Seriously, this is the time where they are the sweetest and it’s a great reminder how much I love them after a day of tantrums and “I am five years old, I know everything and you, my mother, know nothing.”  There are those nights though where they are so very tired they refuse to fall asleep.  Last night was one of these nights.  

Tot1 cried about missing our kitty, Alby (Alby went to kitty heaven a month ago).  This is her signature of late.  If things don’t go her way, if she is too tired, and so on, she pulls out the tears and the “My poor kitty! I just miss Alby so much.”  Honestly though, she is the easy one.  Her tears pass and she falls asleep in a minute of the light being turned off.  Tot2…well, she is a different story.

Tot2:  I cannot go to sleep.  There are monsters under my bed.

Mama:  The only monster under your bed is your sister. And she is asleep.

T2:  But under her bed there are monsters. 

M:  There is no space for monsters under her bed.  All of your toy bins are there.

T2:  Well, there are monsters in the closet.

M: If there are monsters in the closet, they are having a dress up party because there are so many clothes in there. 

T2:  Fine. (few second pause)  I cannot go to sleep.  I’ve been trying for hours.

M:  It has been 3 minutes.

T2:  Right. Hours!

M:  Just close your eyes, relax, and you will fall asleep.

T2:  No, I won’t.  My leg won’t let me fall asleep.  It hurts so much.

M: I don’t think you had enough water to drink today.  That will make your muscles ache.

T2:  I did drink water.  Lots.   There was ice in all of the Pepsi’s I had today. (a week of VBS means lunches out all weeks means Pepsi)

M:  I see.  So having ice in Pepsi is the same as drinking a cup of water?

T2: Yeah. (followed by an eye roll…yes, I can sense this in the dark)

M: Then I have no idea why your leg hurts.  Lay down. Go to sleep.  (At this point the book Go the F**K to Sleep is popping in my head).

T2: (eyes squeezed tight together).  No. Not working. Sing to me.

M: Excuse me?

T2: Please sing me a song.

Mama sings. The Pony Man.  Down in the Valley. Constant as the Stars Above. Go To Sleep My Baby. (My dad used to sing to me, so I love singing to the tots)  All the while tot2 is stroking my hand.  This takes a good while to get through all these.  She is still bloody awake!

T2: Again.

M: Nope. Close your eyes or I’m leaving the room.

T2: Fine. (pause) But I (pause) will (pause) not go (pause) to….

And she’s out.  So is mama.