When I read back over my posts through the years, the tie that binds them all is.....my five year old son doesn't like to sleep. Didn't as a baby, hated it as a toddler, hates it more than every vegetable combined now as a kindergartner. What is also true, but not mentioned as much in my blog world, is that this drives my husband crazy. He is one of those people that lays down and falls instantly asleep and doesn't remember anything about the next 8 hours. Or, as I like to call them, people I think about suffocating with their own pillow.
As maybe you can tell from my barely hidden viciousness, I don't sleep well either. I get my son. We are kindred sleep spirits. So my husband and I continue to half heartedly squabble over our kid in our bed, both knowing the other isn't going to change their mind and both figuring after five years this is going to end itself soon anyway.
A few weeks ago, both my littles started school. This created a need for a better night time routine where we actually slept on a semi-regular schedule. Baby girl - who is actually 4 now but will remain my Baby Girl - took to this schedule like a duck to water. Every night I put on a bedtime playlist, sit down next to her bed and rub her back, and by song three she is out cold. Her Daddy's child.
Our 5 yr old? Waiting to jump out of his bunk the minute I let him. At first, I tried making him stay up there, listening to songs - sure he would nod off. Ten songs, 14 songs, 22 songs...it didn't matter. He persevered and no matter when I turned it off, he popped his head up and asked to come in my bed. After a week of no sleep for him OR Mama...I just let him back in my bed. And once he is there...asleep in minutes. No songs required.
So tonight I get Baby Girl asleep and Baby Boy hops down from his bunk. We go into my room and I set my music down and tuck him in and then go get my pajamas on. When I come back he is up next to my bed, piroquetting and asking me to dance with him to Ed Sheeran 'Perfect'. So I did. And it was ...perfect.
Some of my best moments to with this child have been long after the rest of the world has gone to sleep. I have no regrets about following my gut on this. I can sleep later when, I'm told, he might not like me so much. We shall see. But for now, I am going to keep stockpiling as many sweet memories as I can, wherever I can find them.
