It's always something

Just when I finally figured out the "key" to getting my 4 yr old into bed with a minimum of hassle, the world erupts elsewhere....

For the past 3 nights, Duncan has been a model child - laying down in his bed and not getting up, but rather actually closing his eyes and drifting off into slumber.

Since previously, he has been the most difficult to get to sleep, we thought we were finally getting our evenings back. The stress of putting 3 boys down to bed for the night usually results in some much needed down time to "decompress" as it were - and return ourselves into some semblance of humanity that isn't screetching "get back into bed" and threatening the removal of movies and treats for days at a time.

But Duncan has been wonderful the past few days - lulling me into a false sense of "hey they're growing up, things are starting to get easier now". Because now JOEY is getting wise. He's not falling for the ol' give-him-another-bottle-and-he'll-go-back-to-sleep trick. Not by a long shot. Joey is not walking yet, but is practicing - usually around 1am. This is when he has decided that sleep is not something he wants to be doing, therefore nobody else should be allowed either. The crying has developed into a high pitch frantic wail that increases with intensity the longer you wait. In order to preserve the sleep cycle of the older boys, I've resorted to getting Joey up the last 3 nights, and bringing him downstairs for him to practice his walking, alone and without interruptions from older brothers, just Joey and his groggy mum, for 30-45 minutes until he yawns, and I know it's safe to put him back in his crib.
Last night wasn't so bad as he started this routine around 10pm. Still early enough for me to get a good nights sleep afterward.

That is until 2:30, when #2 decided that his world was not tickety-boo and someone must be summoned to fix it.

Daddy was chosen for this particular honour - simply because mummy heard but pretended to be fast asleep when daddy finally awoke. I heard things like "Matthew where are your jammies?" and "Well kiki's all wet because you took your diaper off and peed on it". A few more minutes and daddy was back in bed. I am insanely jealous of his ability to fall right back to sleep within 5 or 10 minutes.
Of course 5 minutes later I heard footprints padding about, so up I got to investigate.
Finding Matthew in the laundry room, wailing for his Kiki, I directed him back to bed - with an alternate, but less satisfactory blanket to sleep with until his favourite Kiki could be washed - not something I was attempting to do at 2:35am.
As I put the gates back up to KEEP him in his room, Matthew informed me that the gates were necessary to "keep the birds out".
I'm not sure what kind of whacked out crazy nightmares this boy has been having, but birds are very scary to him.
Monsters he loves, but birds must be kept out by a plastic gate.

It was at this hour of the night that I pondered going back to the days of duct tape. At least then my little houdini couldn't remove his diaper and pee all over the place, inadvertantly waking himself up in the process.

Note to self - buy more duct tape

At least he slept in until 10am - and my wonderful husband allowed me to sleep in as well, getting up with Duncan and the baby and getting them breakfast.

How we'll all fare at the cottage is going to be interesting to say the least....

I'll be bringing up the duct tape and the gates - no way those birds are going to get my boy at the cottage either!!