Musical Beds

The only person in our house who stays in the same bed all night is our son.

My husband is working nights for a few weeks to train the night shift - which means instead of getting up to go to work at 4am, he gets home at 4am. This doesn't really change the game of musical beds we play so much, it just escalates the frustration in it.

Our son goes to bed at about 7:30 pm - he just needs that much sleep to function. Our daughter, however, thinks 10ish is an appropriate bedtime. Oh, she goes to bed at 8, but she talks, giggles, watches a movie (our only option for sanity) and calls for me in my vulnerability incessantly - "I need water, I need to potty, I need a snack, my door is closed too far, I hear a dog barking, I see a light on..."

She finally drifts off and I sneak off to bed. From 10:30-12:30, the bed is ALL MINE. Then I hear it...the thump, thump, thump of her feet across our kitchen. Then she's in the bed with me. I can't complain too much - she's warm and snuggly - and too heavy for me to lug back to her bed. But then 3:30 rolls around. ENTER HUSBAND - TIRED HUSBAND. He scoops her up and lovingly carries her to her bed and climbs into our bed. A few minutes later...SHE'S BACK!! She climbs in, and he goes to her bed instead. He hates it, comes back, and I go instead, because there's not enough room for all of us.

I used to think I was tired all the time....tired has taken on a new meaning. The only thing this game of musical beds needs to be complete? Music. Maybe then we could sleep.