Monday, July 21, 2008

why, hello monday

In lieu of a single blog post summarizing the current state of my child-crazed mind, I am doing a series of shorter posts. Why is it that I'm not writing a longer blog post, you ask?

Well, I have no time to sit and think because the triplet's aren't taking a nap today. Last night I decided I am done with kids not going to sleep until 10:00. I'm not going to bed until 1:00 or 2:00 AM because there is way too much to do and I can't get anything finished until the children are sleeping. And then, like clock work, Henry is up crying before I have a chance to dream.

So the reason I am sleep deprived and teetering on the verge of complete and thorough mental and physical collapse is solely due to my children. Namely, a 12-month old that is capable of climbing furniture and believes with everything he is, that sleep is for the weak.

Never once did I imagine that it would be so grueling to sleep train a singleton. With the triplets, they were all on the same exact schedule so there was no question that they were going to sleep. They could look over and see their siblings in their cribs and know that it was futile to resist. But with Henry, he knows the others are up and he refuses to go down without a fight.

Today is Monday.

I have a full week ahead of me with the most insane schedule juggling we've ever experienced and a dog that has severe bronchitis, is losing control of her bladder and is leaving messes of phlegm and pee everywhere she goes.

The past few days, in fact ever since we've been back from vacation, I've been walking around in a stupor wondering "How in the name of gin did I do this?"

Although there were challenges at times with driving almost 7,000-miles in three weeks time with four children under the age of four ... it is exponentially more difficult being at home.

If things don't improve quickly immediately, we're loading up the family and leaving for another tour of the US and Canada.

4 comments:

  1. I was you in February. Granted our kids are not all under four, but I had a terrible time coming home from a week long cruise. It was so difficult to get back into a routine, and to cook and clean for six again!! It felt like I had to think about everything that before came naturally.

    Don't worry, it'll get better...but you can always get back in the van and come down to Canada and visit! (But, alas, the same thing will happen when you come home again).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, and I was going to ask, How did the photos go?

    ReplyDelete
  3. We gave up the nap at 3yr4mo old because it was totally screwing up bedtime. I opted to cut out the nap and preserve the 6:30ish to 7:00ish bedtime. Also, I bought a kitchen buzzer and put it in their room after lunch and gave them lots and lots of books and told them they had to sit on their bed and read books until the buzzer went off. It didn't always work perfect, but it was 45 minutes of semi-peace which was better than nothing!!!

    My twins were the VERY best sleepers EVER. They were/are amazing for naps and bedtime. My 13 month old singleton is the worst.napper.ever. Honestly, I don't know how I went from near perfection with TWO babies to utter failure with ONE baby, but it has happened. So, you are not alone with the whole "multiples sleeping better than singletons thing"!

    Kelly(Houston)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Eessshhhh! So sorry...hope things improve, but at this rate you'll have driven through all 48 lower (maybe even Alaska at this rate)...in about 2 1/2 or 3 months...hang in there...start to hold school over there head with the poop hold out...Maybe they'll be swayed...maybe =]

    ReplyDelete