That's the sound of me NOT putting my children to bed. Not in the usual way, anyway. Olive has finally worn me down, and I've agreed to release her from The Big Bed. This is the third night in a row, and as she officially turned all of 3 and 1/2 today, I guess it's going to stick. Shit.
For quite a while now, she's been talking about (okay, asking about) sleeping in her big girl bed in "Peach's room" (which she finally figured out is her room, too), and she loves to climb up in her big girl bed and "pretend to sleep alone" or read books. And then stupid Target had to put those cowgirl sheets on sale, and then Peach started chiming in (okay, pleading), and I knew I was in trouble. Shit.
Friday night was the first night, and they both ran to their beds, giggling and wiggling all the way. After a couple of Dr. Seuss books for Olive and a couple of chapters of Nancy Drew for Peach, they literally waved me out of the room. Hugs and kisses all around, and I left. Slowly. I thought, NOW what am I supposed to do? They aren't asleep yet. They're just lying there. Alone. Without ME. My BABIES!!! But then - I turned on the monitor, and I heard this:
Peach: And if you need anything, Olive, anything at all, I'm right here. Okay?
Olive: Okay.
(pause)
Olive: I wuv you, Sis.
And that was that.
I might be proud of them if I wasn't so sad about the whole thing. Sleeping in The Big Bed with Olive was the last bit of babyhood I had to cling to, and as hard as it was when Peach moved into her big girl bed, (at about the same age, I might add), I was at least pregnant with Olive and had more nights of little feet in my back to look forward to. That said, purely for my own benefit, I still slept most nights on a mattress on the floor right next to Peach until I was too pregnant to get down there anymore. And then I made T-Bone do it. Well, she was all the way in the NEXT room - what if she needed us?
Now both of my "big girls" are all the way UPstairs on the OTHER side of the friggin' house - think I'm sleeping easy? Well, no. But I'm still hoping that maybe this is just a phase, and maybe Olive will come to her senses and want to come back to The Big Bed. Maybe the cowgirl sheets could get "accidentally" torn or LOST or something. Maybe. Maybe not. Shit.
For now, I think I hear my mattress calling me ...
4 comments:
Sniff, sniff I've been there. My 11 year old is getting so big makes me sad and happy.
ohhhhohohoh I think my heart broke a little, too. UGH. Your girls are so sweet. :)
awww man ... I am so sorry. It's all good, but still sad -- yes?
As the mother of a six year old who WILL NOT LET ME LEAVE HER ALONE until she is fast asleep, and then when I get up to leave will often start awake and scream, "MOMMY!"...enjoy your extra time at night. That's all.
Post a Comment