The kids stay up until 10:00 now, and since Ruthie wakes up around 6:30 or 7:00, they’re always awake when I am.
ALWAYS AWAKE.
This makes for a very long day of people asking me for things and/or making noise around me.
The CIA calls this Sensory Overload Torture.
Google it if you don’t believe me. You’ll see a video of my kids engaged in a conversation like this:
Thomas: Ruthie, look at this cool thing I made.
Ruthie: …
Thomas: Ruthie! Look at this cool thing I made!
Ruthie: …
Thomas: RUTHIE! LOOK AT THIS… RUTHIE!
Ruthie: …
Thomas: ***RUTHIE!***
*smack*
Ruthie: OUCH! *cries* MOOOOOOMMMMM! THOMAS IS HITTING ME!
THOMAS: I JUST WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THIS!
Ruthie: *cry-screaming* *running away from Thomas*
Thomas: RU!! THIE!!! *runs after her*
*door slams*
*banging on door*
MOM!RUTHIE!THOMAS!MOM!MOM!*bang*RUTHIE!*SLAM*MOM!*stompstompstomp*
*fade to black*
Anyway…
I usually make them go to bed at 9:00, but they can read or do something quiet as long as they stay in their room.
This works for awhile, but pretty soon their “quiet activity” turns into make-believe play, which turns into getting really wound up at 9:30, which turns into a lot of yelling about GO TO BED ALREADY WE’RE TRYING TO WATCH GAME OF THRONES.
My goal this summer is to run them so hard all afternoon that one of them falls asleep in the middle of an argument.
Which reminds me… I’m hatching a plan for my summer of juggling work and kids, partially inspired by a blogging friend. Stay tuned for the deets.