"Sleeping" Like a Big Kid
After she moved to a big girl bed, occasionally we'd wonder when Fiona would realize that she didn't have to stay in bed after we closed the door to her room. Well, the day has arrived.
On Tuesday earlier this week, Andrea hosted a dinner and one of her co-hosts brought Fiona a gift of several small toy animals. They were bath toys, but Fiona didn't care -- she lined them up around the house, played games with them, took them in the stroller, and generally conducted various adventures. That night at bedtime she wanted her animals in bed with her. Since they were plastic, I didn't think they'd be very comfortable, but we lined them up on the table next to her bed. We did our stories and songs, and Fiona fell asleep around 9pm.
About an hour later, we could hear her in her room playing in bed. "You're a hippo," she sang (presumably to the hippo). "You're an elephant." This went on for about 10 minutes, at which point Andrea went in to help Fiona get back to sleep.
Any chance that this was a one-night only aberration went out the window on Wednesday when Fiona lined her animals up before bed (okay, I helped out, in an ill-advised parenting moment), and then proceeded to play (loudly) with them in her bed for over an hour after we did lights out. At that point, we decided that we would have no more toys right by the bed. In my defense, she used to keep a toy Dora by her bed for months, and I never heard a peep.
Thursday was smooth sailing. Lights out by 9pm, and Fiona was totally quiet.
But last night, Fiona noticed her animals weren't there and started crying. We told her that the animals weren't going to be there, and she whimpered a bit more and then quieted down.
A few minutes later we heard her talking to her toy Disney Princesses ring (a party favor from a birthday at day care). Then we heard her banging it on the table, and singing to it.
And then we heard the humidifier getting turned on. Which is across the room from Fiona's bed.
When I finally walked in, Fiona had lined up a whole series of toys on the table in her room, and was standing in front of it with a big grin. She was, shall we say, displeased when I informed her that it was time to be in bed.
This afternoon at naptime she didn't get out of bed, but she did play loudly with Roo and Pooh bear. Unlike at bedtime, we know that if she doesn't quiet down quickly for her nap we're going to miss the window of opportunity, so I went in and reminded her that she should try to get a little sleep. Fiona promised that she would.
Ten minutes later, I could hear her playing with Roo and Pooh bear again. I decided to make one last visit.
As I opened the door, I saw Fiona quickly set her stuffed animals down and roll on to her side. Then she shut her eyes tightly, and pretended with all her might that she had fallen asleep.
I'm so proud. I must have been at least three before I tried to fake my parents out with phony sleep.
On Tuesday earlier this week, Andrea hosted a dinner and one of her co-hosts brought Fiona a gift of several small toy animals. They were bath toys, but Fiona didn't care -- she lined them up around the house, played games with them, took them in the stroller, and generally conducted various adventures. That night at bedtime she wanted her animals in bed with her. Since they were plastic, I didn't think they'd be very comfortable, but we lined them up on the table next to her bed. We did our stories and songs, and Fiona fell asleep around 9pm.
About an hour later, we could hear her in her room playing in bed. "You're a hippo," she sang (presumably to the hippo). "You're an elephant." This went on for about 10 minutes, at which point Andrea went in to help Fiona get back to sleep.
Any chance that this was a one-night only aberration went out the window on Wednesday when Fiona lined her animals up before bed (okay, I helped out, in an ill-advised parenting moment), and then proceeded to play (loudly) with them in her bed for over an hour after we did lights out. At that point, we decided that we would have no more toys right by the bed. In my defense, she used to keep a toy Dora by her bed for months, and I never heard a peep.
Thursday was smooth sailing. Lights out by 9pm, and Fiona was totally quiet.
But last night, Fiona noticed her animals weren't there and started crying. We told her that the animals weren't going to be there, and she whimpered a bit more and then quieted down.
A few minutes later we heard her talking to her toy Disney Princesses ring (a party favor from a birthday at day care). Then we heard her banging it on the table, and singing to it.
And then we heard the humidifier getting turned on. Which is across the room from Fiona's bed.
When I finally walked in, Fiona had lined up a whole series of toys on the table in her room, and was standing in front of it with a big grin. She was, shall we say, displeased when I informed her that it was time to be in bed.
This afternoon at naptime she didn't get out of bed, but she did play loudly with Roo and Pooh bear. Unlike at bedtime, we know that if she doesn't quiet down quickly for her nap we're going to miss the window of opportunity, so I went in and reminded her that she should try to get a little sleep. Fiona promised that she would.
Ten minutes later, I could hear her playing with Roo and Pooh bear again. I decided to make one last visit.
As I opened the door, I saw Fiona quickly set her stuffed animals down and roll on to her side. Then she shut her eyes tightly, and pretended with all her might that she had fallen asleep.
I'm so proud. I must have been at least three before I tried to fake my parents out with phony sleep.
posted by BWC at
3:53 PM
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