Back to Bedtime

It's that time year again. Kids everywhere are going to back to school (moms everywhere are rejoicing) and summer is coming to an end.   That means that I must get my children, mainly my oldest (who is starting first grade on Monday!) back on her bedtime routine. 

Generally, I like her to be in bed by 8 pm on school nights.  This way she can wake up without being hateful the next morning.  Not that she wakes up all cheery and chipper, but at least she tolerates my constant requests for her to get out of bed and get moving when she is well rested.  And as a side note, why does she get up bright and early when she doesn't have to, but I have to basically harass her to get up on school days?

Let's be honest, anything goes in the summertime.  If the kids are sleeping (and I am still awake) by 9:30, I consider that a good night.  I pat myself on the back and have a glass of wine.

But now, we are back to bedtime business and I have been trying to get started with it this week.  Tonight, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.  My husband gave the older girls baths while I gave the baby a bath and fed her a bottle before bed.  She was out like a light as usual...BUT the older ones were a different story.  After baths, they got ready for bed.  Then the shenanigans began.  If it wasn't "can we read one more book?" (even though we had read dozens),  it was "can I have some water?", or "the sleeves on my nightgown are too tight" or "are earthquakes really bad?" or "are hurricanes worse than earthquakes?" (my 6 year old has an obsession with natural disasters and today's little earthquake opened up a whole new can of worms).  Finally after about 30 minutes of excuses, requests, and questions, it was lights out.  After another 10 minutes, all was quiet.  I checked the clock...9:37.  Not great.

So we have some work to do...but I am hoping by Sunday night, all will go smoothly.  I am sure that I will be the one up all night thinking about my daughter starting first grade.  How did that happen?  Wasn't she just a baby?  I know she will love it. But to me, first grade seems so much older than kindergarten.  She is big time now. 

Tomorrow is a new day and tomorrow night will be a new chance to try to get them ready for an earlier bedtime (while not losing every last little tiny bit of patience I might still have these days).