How to Avoid Bedtime

I'm sure all children have their phases where they fight bedtime. Some more adamantly than others. Kizzy and Kendal both also have these phases. Kendal will just cry and fuss and stay awake and play. Sometimes he'll throw his sippy of water overboard and yell "uh-oh! uh-oh! uh-oh!" until someone gets it for him. He's also been known to throw his loveys which include his blanket, his pillow pet and some stuffed animals. But over all he's pretty good about bedtime. Kizzy is a little more stubborn and has come up with every excuse to get out of bed in the book. Including the following (and the solutions we've come up with):
- Potty (potty time is now included in the routine, at the very end)
- drink (sippys of water are now permanent fixtures in their beds)
-snack ( story time now includes a small bowl of grapes or a slice of cheese)
- scared (Kizzy is a proud new owner of a Monster Scaring Flashlight)
-not tired (Kizzy gets to tell stories to her Bear)
-too hot (we don't really tuck her in until after she falls asleep)
- needs to say another prayer (Kizzy gets to say prayers for Kendal too)
She has several others that don't come up as often such as wanting to take medicine, too dark, too light, too cold, to quiet, too noisy, needs more stuffed animals, stripping pajamas off and needing help putting them back on, wants to play with Kendal, wants the door to stay open, needs to tuck her dolls in, needs to brush her stuffed monkey's teeth, more stories, etc, etc, etc. But tonight she came up with a new one that I hadn't heard before and wasn't sure how to send her back to bed after this one. She's been crying for a few minutes and talking to herself when she leaves the bedroom and comes to me:

Kizzy: Mommy, I just want to be with my family.
Mommy: You want to be with your family?
K: yes, you and my Daddy and you Mommy. I just want my Mommy. And my family.

Ok, seriously how sweet is that? And how on earth am I supposed to be firm about bedtime when all I want to do is snuggle with her after saying something so sweet? She's a crack up and certainly a smarty pants. But she's also very sweet and I love those moments.

Grumpy Kizzyisms

Today Kizzy was a grumpy girl. I'm actually thinking she might be coming down with something. But before today she never had the verbalization skills to express her grumpies to me and she had some doozies today. Examples:

Kizzy: Mommy, my eyes are rubbing.
(pause)
Me: You're rubbing your eyes?
K: yes, my eyes are rubbing
M: are you tired?
K: NO! I just need a rest


K:Mommy! I talking to you!
M: what Kizzy?
K: look at my face!
(I look)
K: It's my grumpy face.


Kizzy had been playing by herself for about 20 minutes while I had been giving Kendal his lunch. She came and found me in the kitchen and announced-
K: Mommy, everybody is bothering me!
M: who is bothering you?
K: EVERYBODY!


M: well Kizzy, Kendal's napping, what do you want to do?
K: (shrug)
M: We can play, or read stories, or watch a show, or play a game. What do you want?
K: (shrug)
M: how about coloring? do you want to color?
K: NOTHING MOM! I want to do nothing!
M: ok, we don't have to do anything.
K: But Mom! I want to color!


Even with the grumpies, this girl sure can make me laugh.

Christmas Church Clothes

Both kids are holding a toy from their stockings, I didn't even realize that until I uploaded these pictures.