well..... just as I start drafting my first anniversary post for Beach Ball, exalting the virtues of what a good girl she is, how far along she's come, how sunny and good natured she is.... She has decided that she will not sleep at the cottage. Everything was fine, we were here for a long time over the holidays and she didn't give us one bit of trouble. Except for the talking after we put them to bed, but you put a 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old in a room in the dark, you have to expect a bit of chatter before they close their eyes.
Last weekend though, even if Dumpling was fast asleep, exhausted from hours outside breathing in the fresh air, Beach Ball just wouldn't stop talking, moving around the room, reading books.... anything and everything but sleeping. Eventually, it occurred to me that all the dolls she had taken to bed lacked one thing: a pointy corner to stick in her nose. Don't ask, she's got this weird thing about sticking something "pointy" like the tail or ear of her rag cat in her nose when she falls asleep. So I procured her Lamb, with floppy, pointy ears, but it didn't help. She was still up after we went to bed, didn't fall asleep til near midnight and woke up several times, finally demanding to get up at 5 am. Then, she was a piss all day!
Last night, we had a repeat performance. Except this time, we didn't kid around. I don't want her waking up Dumpling, so at 10 pm, when she was showing no signs of slowing down, we threatened her with the worst threat to this toddler: close your eyes or go in the crib in our room...... 10 minutes later, she was strolling around again, so off to the crib she went. Miraculously, she was asleep when I went to bed an hour later, but she was up at 4 am, begging to be let out of the crib to roam around. I don't know what he did/said, but hubs eventually got her coaxed back down to sleep, but this is not fun....
I don't know what it could be. the routine is the same, we come every week, it's predictable, she has her stuff, her blanket, her rag cat, but for some reason, she just won't go to sleep. And she only does it here, not in the city....... aaaarrrrgghhhh!
I'm too old to be raving all night.
PS: on a cinema note.... hated There Will Be Blood..... too long, extremely boring. Well acted, beautiful cinematography, but really..... boring. Hubs didn't like it either.
could it be the anniversary? i have heard that adopted children can become more emotional/etc around the time of their adoption anniversary i have noticed my son can be a bit more emotional during that period of the year. and maybe it is only at the cottage because it is not her 'normal' home...even though it is a usual place for you guys to go every week it is still not 'home' and that reminds her of the hotel....i may be reaching here.
Posted by: kris | January 26, 2008 at 09:35 PM
A bit old for raves? Hey, you're still a spring chicken compared to me! But seriously, I know exactly how it feels, but I can only imagine the added challenge of a party kid who is out of her crib already, and free to move around. I'm thankful my own night owl still sleeps in a crib! Hang in there: a very wise, very helpful mom once told me that nothing is permanent... :o)
Posted by: Nat | January 26, 2008 at 10:40 PM
I so feel for you. Glenys does everything under the sun except walk around to avoid going to sleep. She is too afraid to walk around and that is the only reason she doesn't. Good luck with the beach ball.
Beverly
Posted by: beverly | January 29, 2008 at 03:01 PM