Bedtime Battles

As I'm sure I've mentioned a time or two recently, bedtime is no fun at our house these days and hasn't been for months.  However, we have had a fairly good week.  She fell asleep Tuesday night within 30 minutes of going to bed (this is a record, as she hasn't fallen asleep that fast in months!).  Wednesday night was about an hour, but that is still better than her usual 2 hours plus of shenanigans.  The best part is she has sleep all through the night, and even slept in a little bit in the mornings (meaning past 7 a.m.).  I was beginning to think we had maybe turned a corner back to a normal sleep pattern...WRONG!

Last night, we put her to bed about 8:30 (on the later side of normal).  We have had a few neighbors over the past few Thursdays to enjoy Thursday Night Football as we are the only ones with the NFL network.  We all provide something to eat, and it's a good time.  Every other week, we have put Delaney to bed when it's time, and she's fallen asleep within a reasonable amount of time without much intervention.  Last night, I did the whole routine, put her to bed, put up the gate in her door, and went back downstairs.  A few minutes later, I hear a thumb, and go up to investigate.  She had kicked the gate down, and was standing on it with one leg in a ninja like pose.  I put up the gate, made a few threats of taking toys and blankies out, and went back downstairs.  It was quiet for a while...

Craig checked on her, and she was awake, but in bed.  Still quiet.  I went upstairs a few minutes later to put the dessert back in the fridge, and I discover my naughty little girl...bedroom light on, sitting in her rocking chair reading "Click, Clack, Moo", all of her stuffed animals out of their tub strewn about the floor, happy as a lark.  I asked her what she was doing, and she just looked at me all innocently without a word.  I went downstairs to summon her father to handle this, as I was about to lose my cool.  We return upstairs to see her still reading her book like it was no big deal!  It was one of those times, when I really wish I would have snapped a picture before the moment had passed, and it was adorable.  It will be one of those stories I look back on and laugh, even though I was less than pleased at the time.  

After we made her pick up her toys and put away her books, she went back to her bed and fell asleep shortly thereafter.  She even slept in until 8:15 this morning, so that late night reading must have really worn her out!  Here's hoping it's a more restful weekend at our house!