No…I’ve never read the book that sounds like this title so it won’t be a brilliant parody.
We traveled to the home of loved ones for Thanksgiving. It was the happiest of reunions for everyone. The kids were thrilled, the adults were smiley. Until bedtime rolled round. Their little girl had a major meltdown which was being handled with grace and it became my challenge to put our boys to bed with as much grace. The challenge was that we didn’t have an enclosed bed for Evan. I started out thinking, “I can do this. He’ll lay down.”
I put Ryan in his cool Lightning McQueen sleeping bag and tried to work our routine…it didn’t work. He got up and down and Evan came in and out. We eventually got Ryan on the floor and Evan in the bed. Thus commenced a rather long period of time where my emotions fluctuated faster than I can remember. I repeated the words, “Evan lay down,” in so many ways. Patient.Soft. Impatient. Angry. Mean. Desperate. Tear filled. Unfeeling. Desperate again. Calm. Ryan climbed in bed tiredly then retreated back to the floor when I said at a desperate moment, “I love you, but Evan needs to be on the bed more than you do tonight & if you don’t lay back down, he won’t stop laying on your head.” Ryan fell asleep. Finally Evan relaxed. He stopped trying to sit up. He stopped trying to climb off the bed. He lay on my legs while I tried to sing him to sleep. He flipped to the pillow. Back to my legs. To the pillow. Legs. Pillow. He stayed. He slowed. He fell asleep. It was 12:45am. He slept until 6 or 7.
My sweet sister in law took me aside sometime in the afternoon to show me a music video by Collin Raye that is beautiful and heartfelt. I think there are times depicted in this song that every parent can relate to, but I know that it rings true to me. I cried. I think you might too.
And tonight, we have a pack n play. Tonight, Evan was a little more ready for bed. tonight, I sang him a song and said a little prayer. As I was praying, his breathing slowed to a steady rhythm and I looked up to see his body relaxed and finally resting at a normal 10:30pm. Then my prayer continued more from me than both of us. thank you,Heavenly Father, for sending me this beautiful child. Please help me to know how to help him. How to work with him. to learn with him. To teach with him. Help me. Bless him.
Thank you for the challenges that help us love each other better.
4 comments:
Oh my... I can relate to your tale in SO many ways- bedtime is a major frustration with Serra [among other things]. We just can't calm her down sometimes and she has energy that never stops! The doctors are wanting to diagnose her with something, but we're not sure yet so we're not disclosing it because we don't want her treated differently if we find out she isn't. But it's frustrating! It's SO frustrating!!! You know that they need sleep, their bodies are telling them that they need sleep, you're telling them how to get sleep, but somehow they just refuse to listen to you and do the 1 thing that they need/want to do! Ahhhh!!! Well, maybe someday it'll click and they'll believe us when we say, "you're tired, it's time for bed- go to sleep!" :)
Thanks for sharing another aspect of your lives. Often traveling isn't the best even when the family fun is so anticipated, enjoyed and love is very present. I can empathize with the situation, and so glad you got a pack n play for the second night.
The Collin Raye video also made me cry. I'd love to be with you or have you with me always.
You're amazing! Thanks for sharing. I thought I could make it on a trip with no portacrib...but I ended up buying one after the first night.
Thank you Megan, for being a real mom and being willing to write about real life!! You make me feel so much better, its nice to know I'm not going it alone. I'm dreading christmas, I want to get out and live my life, but nights are not a highlight.
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