Let's play the "NOT STAY IN BED" game

I don't know who is worse lately...Little D or Princess Grabby Hands! Who knew that two children under 3 years old could play this game so well? Is there a private school that I don't know about that they are attending during nap time or something?

Here is the scenario:

I put them both in bed. PGH cries like I just put her down to be eaten by wolves or something. LD smiles and says NIGHT MOM and grabs his pillow. I know LD is just humoring me. PGH calms down and I think all is well.

Within 30 minutes LD will hop out of bed and bound into the living room. Usually it is "I got hiccups" or "Tie my bear's shoe (which is already tied, by the way)" or "I need kisses" or about 20 other phrases he has decided are great excuses for getting out of bed. Anyone have some duct tape for this kid? UGH! Bungee cords??? ANYTHING??? I'm desperate!

With LD, I follow the GET BACK IN BED now method and lead him in there. Works sometimes but not others. If only I had the patience of Supernanny! Yeah right! Does she even have kids? Patience is not for those that have them. Patience is for those that can give them back to their parents after a few hours!

So then LD gets...well...not quiet but at least he gets it that he has to stay in bed. Within an hour, PGH (who has been asleep this whole time) will wake up screaming bloody murder. I wait a few minutes thinking that maybe she just woke up startled and will go back to sleep. No...I am not ignoring her...well, maybe yes I am but this is a nightly pattern so I doubt anything is really wrong with her.

After about 3 to 5 minutes of the crying to get more pitiful, I finally check on her. She sits there with fear in her eyes and wants to come out of bed NOW! I pick her up to calm her. PGH is fine the second she is in my arms. I try to put her back down. No go. She wants to stay up now! SIGH....

I bring her to the living room and rock her for a little bit. She starts dozing off and I think "HEY...LET'S TRY THE BED THING AGAIN!!!!" As soon as I stand up her eyes pop wide open. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! I get her in her room and she cries her face off in the crib. I tell her goodnight and let her cry. It's usually over within about 5 minutes when she realizes that mom won't let her stay up all night.

Now it's even worse when Daddy is home. When PGH gets up, she flirts so horribly with Daddy that he will hold her for an hour! No wonder she is doing this nightly pattern. She knows Daddy will give in because she is just that darn cute! He is in huge trouble with that one. He can't resist my puppy dog eyes and she has them, too! We are so lucky that I control the check book or else this child would probably get him to buy her a toy store!

As I type, I have PGH finally calmed down and back to slumber land. LD is in his room counting loudly (as he does so often while trying to get to sleep) but it's getting quieter and slower so he must be calming down as well. Maybe, just maybe I'll get peace and quiet by 9:00 pm! I can wish can't I? As my grandpa used to say..."Sit on one hand and wish on the other, then see which gets filled first." Grandpas are so full of wisdom, aren't they? ;) I can't wait to get old and cantankerous so I can fill my grandkids with such wisdom! LOL