Let Me Check The Time
Colin hates bedtime. He desperately fights going to sleep, and tries to negotiate asking for one more story, or talking about his day. Or he just plays with my hair and wiggles around for a while, trying hard to stay awake even though he's clearly tired!
Last night he tried a new twist.
I've been trying to help him learn the concept of time, particularly bedtime. So I've told him that when the first number on the (digital) clock is an 8 it means it is time to get ready for bed, and when the first number is a 9 it means he needs to be in bed. It isn't always a success, but at least I'm trying! He's getting the general idea too, although not necessarily the way I'd like.
Last night we got the boys in their pajamas, and were having family story time in bed. Hari was exhausted and was trying to snooze, Ryan was snuggled in the crook of my right arm, and Colin was propped up in the middle of the bed (wide awake and ready!). I got a book (One Night At the Zoo) and started to read. We went through the entire story, Ryan with his head on my shoulder, sucking on his fingers and clearly ready to nod off, while Colin helped me "read" the story. When I was done I said "that's it - lights out" and went to put the book down and turn off the light.
Colin wasn't accepting that! He wriggled to the end of the bed, "Wait! Wait! I have to check somefing!" (holding up his hand like a traffic cop) "Hold on! Wait! Let me see!"
He scurried over to the nightstand, looked carefully at the clock, and while pointing at the numbers proclaimed, "Four. Seven. Free. That means two books. That means two books, Mommy!"
Trying desperately not to laugh at his interpretation of the clock, I gave in and let him grab Good Night Gorilla (which is back at the top of the pile as his favorite book again), and we read through it. Counting off all the animals (gorilla, the mousie with the banana, elephant, hyeeeena, giraffe, lion, and the very slow armadillo who is always at the back of the line). On each page I point to every animal and Colin names them off, talking about what they're doing. He points out that the gorilla uses the matching key with the cages (yellow key/yellow cage, blue key/blue cage). He finds the balloon on every page. He follows the little mouse and his foibles with his banana. But I knew he was really getting tired when I pointed to the gorilla and he said "hyena" - but he caught himself! "Mommy, I said the wrong word. That's the gorilla." You're right, Colin. That is the gorilla!
On one of the later pages Ryan suddenly popped up. As Colin and I were going through all the animals (gorilla, elephant, hyeeeeena, giraffe, lion, armadillo, and the mousie with the... ) Ryan interjected "bah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah!" He was so proud of himself, because he was reading along with me and his big brother, and I was delighted because this was the first time he's tried this. Normally he just quietly sits and enjoys me/us reading the book. After that it was game on - every page Colin would read the other animals, and Ryan would call out "bah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah!"
Eventually we reached the end of the book, where the mouse and the gorilla have eaten the "bah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah!" and everyone is in bed and going to sleep. And in spite of Colin's continued protests we turned our our own lights and everyone went promptly to sleep.
Did I wake up? Remember to brush my own teeth? Change in to my pajamas? Read my own book for a bit? Spend some time with Hari? Help clean up the kitchen or get things ready for the morning? Nope. I did nada, zilch, zippo. I fell asleep with one boy in each arm, all three of us utterly content having "read" our two books. Leaving poor Hari with the jobs of taking Sydney on her final walk, closing up the house, turning off the lights, etc. And while I miss my evenings with Hari, and reading, and watching movies, and feeling organized, and having a clean house, I have to admit that I am happy with the tradeoff. And I'm especially glad that Colin checked the clock last night and saw that the time was Four Seven Three, and that meant two books.
Thanks little guy!
Last night he tried a new twist.
I've been trying to help him learn the concept of time, particularly bedtime. So I've told him that when the first number on the (digital) clock is an 8 it means it is time to get ready for bed, and when the first number is a 9 it means he needs to be in bed. It isn't always a success, but at least I'm trying! He's getting the general idea too, although not necessarily the way I'd like.
Last night we got the boys in their pajamas, and were having family story time in bed. Hari was exhausted and was trying to snooze, Ryan was snuggled in the crook of my right arm, and Colin was propped up in the middle of the bed (wide awake and ready!). I got a book (One Night At the Zoo) and started to read. We went through the entire story, Ryan with his head on my shoulder, sucking on his fingers and clearly ready to nod off, while Colin helped me "read" the story. When I was done I said "that's it - lights out" and went to put the book down and turn off the light.
Colin wasn't accepting that! He wriggled to the end of the bed, "Wait! Wait! I have to check somefing!" (holding up his hand like a traffic cop) "Hold on! Wait! Let me see!"
He scurried over to the nightstand, looked carefully at the clock, and while pointing at the numbers proclaimed, "Four. Seven. Free. That means two books. That means two books, Mommy!"
Trying desperately not to laugh at his interpretation of the clock, I gave in and let him grab Good Night Gorilla (which is back at the top of the pile as his favorite book again), and we read through it. Counting off all the animals (gorilla, the mousie with the banana, elephant, hyeeeena, giraffe, lion, and the very slow armadillo who is always at the back of the line). On each page I point to every animal and Colin names them off, talking about what they're doing. He points out that the gorilla uses the matching key with the cages (yellow key/yellow cage, blue key/blue cage). He finds the balloon on every page. He follows the little mouse and his foibles with his banana. But I knew he was really getting tired when I pointed to the gorilla and he said "hyena" - but he caught himself! "Mommy, I said the wrong word. That's the gorilla." You're right, Colin. That is the gorilla!
On one of the later pages Ryan suddenly popped up. As Colin and I were going through all the animals (gorilla, elephant, hyeeeeena, giraffe, lion, armadillo, and the mousie with the... ) Ryan interjected "bah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah!" He was so proud of himself, because he was reading along with me and his big brother, and I was delighted because this was the first time he's tried this. Normally he just quietly sits and enjoys me/us reading the book. After that it was game on - every page Colin would read the other animals, and Ryan would call out "bah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah!"
Eventually we reached the end of the book, where the mouse and the gorilla have eaten the "bah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah-lah-nah!" and everyone is in bed and going to sleep. And in spite of Colin's continued protests we turned our our own lights and everyone went promptly to sleep.
Did I wake up? Remember to brush my own teeth? Change in to my pajamas? Read my own book for a bit? Spend some time with Hari? Help clean up the kitchen or get things ready for the morning? Nope. I did nada, zilch, zippo. I fell asleep with one boy in each arm, all three of us utterly content having "read" our two books. Leaving poor Hari with the jobs of taking Sydney on her final walk, closing up the house, turning off the lights, etc. And while I miss my evenings with Hari, and reading, and watching movies, and feeling organized, and having a clean house, I have to admit that I am happy with the tradeoff. And I'm especially glad that Colin checked the clock last night and saw that the time was Four Seven Three, and that meant two books.
Thanks little guy!
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