I was mistaken. Going to bed at 5:30 p.m. means that you wake up at 3 a.m., not 4. They were bouncing on the bed, laughing and screaming (the happy kind), and running around all over their room. At 3 a.m. The good news is that even though they were loud (clearly, because I heard them), they were at least happy and did not resort to kicking on the door.
Perhaps they do understand that when it is completely dark outside, Mommy is not coming to let them out for the day. Yes, 7 a.m. is pretty much my limit. And even then, I will not be at all happy about it.
Now, my dilemma for today. They eventually went back to sleep, and stayed that way until 9 a.m. this morning. So, now do I force them down for a short nap in the middle of the day, or let them ride it out until an early bedtime (say around 7 or 8 p.m.) tonight?
That, my friends, is the magic question. And I so wish I knew the correct answer . . . and by correct, I mean the one that does not involve middle of the night wakefulness OR early morning wakefulness. How about a nice 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. sleep schedule. I'll even forfeit the afternoon nap, so long as the crankiness is not ridiculous (you know, tantrums about everything late in the day). Is that too much to ask in a house full of toddlers?
