Aubrey's Night Owl Party

Aubrey has been begging to have a sleepover with her friends.
This is coming from a girl who has had a strict bedtime since she was six months old.
If you keep her up past a certain hour, be prepared for a total meltdown.

So, while sleepovers sound soooooo fun, I know Miss A wouldn't handle it well.
And, truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of sleepovers.
Especially not in kindergarten.

But, when possible, I try to find a compromise...

Dilemma: Aubrey wants to have a sleepover / I don't want her to have a sleepover.
Compromise: Aubrey gets to have an "almost" sleepover.
Translation: She gets to invite a couple of friends over to do all the fun "slumber party" things, only when it's time for bed -- everyone goes home!

Aubrey was happy / I was happy, and the "Night Owl Party" was set!

As with most things, Aubrey gets in her mind how she wants everything to go down.
She started working on the decorations that day. She was drawing, coloring, and cutting out stars all afternoon.

We hung up one of her sheets for a backdrop and taped up the cut-out creation.

This was all set up in the basement. We were supposed to have new flooring the week before this shindig, but due to a random snow storm the flooring shipment was delayed. The basement had been cleared out, and old carpet had been pulled up revealing an old, gross brown tile floor underneath. We just had to make due with the circumstances! Good thing 6 year-olds couldn't care less!

The girls each received a plush owl to snuggle and a little bin to fill up with all their crafts (color-your-own pillowcase, grippy socks, and homemade lipgloss) and trinkets from the party (a compact brush/mirror, faux owl nails, clip-on book light, and owl mask.)

Aubrey had created a list of crafts she wanted to do, which was good because we had from 3:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (staying up a full hour past bedtime) to fill up!

The first thing on the agenda when the girls skipped off the bus after-school was make their own lipgloss! I picked up these cute little containers from the bead section at Hobby Lobby for 4/$1. All you do is mix some un-petroleum jelly and to-go singles of a drink mix. While they mixed their lipgloss, we talked about how only "sweet" words should leave our mouths. :)

Next, the girls wanted to make their own grippy socks.
Just DollarTree socks 3/$1 and some puffy paint! 

Around 5:00, the girls decided they wanted to change into their jammies (they just simply couldn't wait any longer!) and ran around the basement with their owl masks.

After all that, their bellies started growling. Aubrey wanted to have breakfast foods for dinner since the girls wouldn't be waking up to have breakfast at our house. Funfetti pancakes, mini cinnamon rolls, donuts, mini waffles, scrambled eggs, and bacon along with chocolate milk! Whoooooo's hungry?!

Once tummies were full, the girls decorated their own owl pillowcases...

Before watching a movie, we played "Prancing Pedicures". I just set the nail polish around in a circle and sat in the middle playing music while they "pranced" around. When I stopped the music, I would paint one of their toenails the color they were standing by. 

Once all the little piggies were painted -- they all danced and ran around to "help" dry their polish. We turned on a movie and passed out pink popcorn to help wind down the evening. 

It was a fun and exhausting night with these little night owls!

They were certainly a HOOT! :)

Parting with the Paci

I remember giving Aubrey a pacifier for the first time.

(Is that really Aubrey? Oh my. I don't remember her being that bald.)

And you could say it was love at first suck.
Aubrey loved it so much that she wanted it all the time.
It was the key to getting her to sleep and our best friend for car rides.
Particularly the 12 hour ones to Kentucky.

Realizing that Aubrey's love for the paci was not waning, we made a rule to only use the paci for nap-time and bedtime when Aubrey was between 1 - 1.5 years old.

She was not a fan of this new rule, as you can see...

Well, as you all know, Aubrey is now THREE.
The time had come to part ways with the paci.
But with Aubrey, things are never black and white.
I knew this was going to be tricky.
This girl is strong-willed to the core.




So, the morning of Aubrey's birthday, Daniel took her to pick up some last minute birthday party essentials and while they were gone, the Paci Fairy stopped by for a quick pick-up and delivery.

She picked-up the pacis and left a magical note, glow in the dark stars for her ceiling, a mini pillow "piggy" pet (she sleeps on a big pillow "piggy" pet), and a paci that doesn't work (snipped the tip) now that she's a "big girl".

The note from the Paci Fairy...

Well, after her Robot Party, a worn-out Aubrey came home and did not nap.
I was getting nervous as bedtime neared.
Surely she'd have to sleep at some point, right?

Well, when bedtime arrived, she was tearfully begging for her paci.
The withdrawal process was beginning, and it wasn't pretty.
After lots of crying and sadness, we gave her the "broken" paci.

She was out like a light in less than a minute.

She continued to sleep with her "broken" paci for over two weeks. Each morning she'd tell me to snip off a little more of her paci (She wants to keep her paci, yet asks me to cut more of it off. I cannot figure that girl out for the life of me.). And finally, on October 5th, she went to bed and slept through the night without it.

I wish I could end this post with And We All Lived Happily Ever After, but...um...no.

Aubrey's naps became hit or miss -- with more days being non-napping days.
And she started waking up much earlier than usual, which honestly, was not fun.
Particularly at 5:19 a.m.
On Saturday.
When Daniel is working all weekend.


This just simply wasn't going to work.
I know when you have kids, you pretty much kiss sleep good-bye, but good heavens...

It was time to brainstorm.

I thought about getting Aubrey a piggy bank and giving her a "coin" for each night she slept and each nap she took. Then at the end of the month, she could buy a prize.

Or maybe I could make a sleep chart where she gets to put a sticker on for each bedtime/naptime success with a prize at the end of the week if she gets, say 5 out of 7 or something.

But, then I got to thinking...Should I reward expected behavior?

Also, I didn't really feel like making a chart. 

Hmmm...what about giving her hefty doses of benadryl to knock her out?
Juuuuust kidding. ;)


So instead of coming up with a clever, creative, non life-threatening way to catch some Zzzzs, I just bought a $60 child's alarm clock that is, quite frankly, one of the ugliest things I've ever seen.

It goes like this:
When the clock is blue = sleep time.
When the clock turns yellow = wake up time.
There is a separate nap-time function where I can set it for a specified amount of time with the same principle (blue/yellow light). This way, whether she naps or not, she is "resting" (aka: Mama gets some alone time) for at least 40 minutes. Thank you, Jesus.

It has lots of other functions (as it should for $60, am I right?!) that I haven't messed with yet.
It can play bedtime stories, lullabies, wake music, and white noise (like ocean sounds). And it includes a built-in Timeout Timer (red light) and Toddler Activity Manager (green light) for any positive timed activity like picking up toys.

The clock has worked like a charm.
We've gone from "It's not time to get up -- go back to sleep!" and having her wail and ultimately get up because it was evident that no one would be sleeping anymore to "Oh look, your clock is still blue...still bedtime...be sure to let me know when it's yellow! Nite nite!"

The sixty bucks for this magical clock was hard to fork over at first, but honestly...can you really put a price on sleep?

So.
There you have it.
No more pacis.
And sleep has returned to our humble abode.
All is well once again.

Now, I'm sure by the time I turn around, I will be kicking the bed of my 16-year-old Aubrey telling her for the millionth time "GET UP! YOU CAN'T SLEEP ALL DAY!"

Parenting is the weirdest thing.

Bye Bye Baby

I like to think of myself as Mrs. Huxtable -- the female version of Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) from The Cosby Show. He was always joking about how soon his kids could leave the house, get a job, and start functioning on their own.

That is so me!

Or so I thought...

I talk a good game, pretty convincingly most days, about how I'm not one of those moms who wants to keep their child a baby forever.

But I had big gut check when these boxes arrived back in October.

Inside were all the components to construct Aubrey's "big girl" bed.

The contents were supposed to be assembled upon delivery, but I decided to just have the furniture guys bring the boxes into the house and then promptly leave.

Besides, at the time we didn't have a mattress for it yet...

Or sheets...

Or pillows...

Plus, Aubrey had been sleeping soooo well in her crib (I'm talking not waking up until after 7 a.m. -- I know for some of you this is no big deal, but in our house it's HUGE.).

Why mess with a good thing? Right?

Well, maybe the big-girl-bed reluctance had nothing to do with the reasons/excuses listed above. I started to wonder if maybe, deep down, I wasn't ready for Aubrey to be a "big girl".

I think it also needs to be mentioned that it was ENTIRELY Daniel who researched beds and bedding for Aubrey. He even stayed up late one night looking up duvet covers, matching shams, pillowcases, etc. I'm not kidding when I say I did NOTHING when it came to getting the furniture/bedding for Aubrey's room. I gave an "okay" to placing the order -- mainly to just end the conversation. Besides, in my mind, I told myself it takes furniture FOREVER to arrive. By the time it gets here, I'll be ready.

Well, the bedding was on our doorstep less than a week after it was ordered, and the furniture arrived freakishly fast behind it.

What happened to 4-6 weeks, at the earliest?!

I walked into Aubrey's room and the mere thought of disassembling her crib gave me a rather unexpected lump in my throat.

All sorts of memories started rushing through my mind. I looked at the rocker that probably has a permanent imprint of my rear-end from all the nights spent trying to get that baby to sleep. And the changing table. Oh, the countless number of diaper changes...

*Please disregard the uneven mirrors above the changing table...
I cringed when I uploaded that picture. For all my fellow Type As out there,
just know they were all straightened afterwards! :)

Well, I knew I would have to eventually put on my "big girl" panties (like Aubrey will be doing soon, hopefully...) and deal with the fact that my baby is growing up.

The mattress was purchased.
Sheets, pillows, etc.
It became apparent that the time had come to make "the change".

So, over the Thanksgiving holiday, Daniel put the bed together and Aubrey took her first snooze in her big-girl bed.

The room went from a nursery to a little girl's room.

One my favorite parts of her room is this picture above her dresser.
The youngest generation is growing up! It's weird to think that this smiley toddler who squealed, "Come in here Mommy!" will one day try to tell me, "MOM--GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

*******

In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything.
You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage.
~Bill Cosby, Fatherhood, 1986

Wit's End

On Sunday, Aubrey woke up at 1:02 a.m. -- no one got a moment's rest until close to 4 a.m. Talk about sheer misery...ugh...

(As many of you know, we've been fighting sleeping battles for the better part of 2 weeks now.)

When Aubrey woke up "for good" on Sunday morning at 6:40 -- she walked into our room, grabbed my devotional from the desk, and slid the book to Daniel who was groggily getting ready for work (yes, poor guy, he worked ALL weekend on little sleep.).

Daniel opened it to the current date, and he read the day's devotional to us all...

Wit's End

"At their wit's end, they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out." (Ps. 107:27, 28).

{The rest of the devotional is at the bottom of the post.}

*******

I think we all wanted to shout a resounding "AMEN!", which got me thinking...

I know Daniel and I are feeling at our "wit's end", but Aubrey is probably at her "wit's end" too.

If Aubrey could write this post, I think hers would be something like this:

So, you all know I've been having some sleeping issues with Momma and Daddy. I wake up at night (for whatever reason: dirty diaper/bad dream/thirsty/gums throbbing from the four teeth that have decided to come in all at once/etc.), I cry-out, and nothing. So, I do what any normal person would do: I throw everything out of my bed and scream and cry even harder. I can sometimes coax Daddy out of bed (apparently he still has a heart, Momma seems to be totally hardened) and have him rock me. I even pretend to be asleep when he does this sometimes, well, until he tries to put me back into that cage they call a crib.

You know, it's actually not even really about the sleep. You see, for the past couple of months, things have been different around here. It's like those two think they are the boss. That they are the ones running this show. Ummm, hello, were they not at the hospital September 17th, 2008? It's like they totally forgot I was born to rule the world. Now it's "NO" this and "NO" that. Don't they know who they're talking to?!

And get this, now when I go up to Momma or Daddy because I want/need something they tell me I will have to wait until they are finished with what they're doing. Can you believe the nerve of these two?! Telling ME to wait?!

And if Momma puts one more carrot, pea, broccoli, or any other vegetable on my plate, so help me God...I mean, you'd think she would have gotten the point by now: I. Don't. Like. Vegetables. But no, there they are on my plate at every meal (well, except for breakfast, which honestly I wouldn't put it past her to start doing at some point!). You should see her face when I swipe them off my plate onto the floor -- it's classic. Actually, it's one of the happier moments of my day. It's seriously hilarious -- it gets me every time. Haha...(just thinking about it makes me laugh!)

And the bottle. Oh, the bottle. If I hear Momma complain one more time about those dad-gum bottles... Yes, I don't mind drinking my beverages from a "big girl" cup -- heck, I will only drink my water and juice from them, but milk? No way. It just tastes better out of a nice, warm bottle. I probably get this from Daddy. He says nothing beats a cold, glass-bottled Coca-Cola. So see, bottle drinking is genetic. I can't help how God made me, now can I?

Oh, and by all means, don't get me started on my favorite TV show: Sesame Street. It's awesome, and I love it. Why can I not watch it all day long? Could someone please tell me why? Momma tries to tell me why, but I can't stop pitching a fit long enough to hear the explanation. I've shown them both that I can count, I know my letters, all my colors, all the common shapes, all my body parts, I sing, I dance, I read books, I have an extensive vocabulary for someone my age, etc. A little TV never hurt anyone, right? Well, Momma says it's one show a day. Period. Ugh...she is so unfair. Talk about an "Oscar the Grouch!" -- I live with one!

Between the two of them, I'm about at my WIT'S END!

{This Kodak moment came about that day Momma let me have some powdered donuts. Well, I wasn't quite finished with those sugary delights, and she put them away! She said I had "had enough" -- doesn't she know I tell her when I've "had enough"?!}

I keep telling/reminding myself that I just need to get through this week, because starting Saturday I'll get to see my Zubie, Grammy, and Pop Pop for a whole week! Now those people know how to treat a Princess!

*******

So, if you're feeling frustrated, defeated, or at your "wit's end" hopefully the remainder of the devotional will give you some much-needed encouragement.

Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner,"
Christian, with troubled brow?
Are you thinking of what is before you,
And all you are bearing now?
Does all the world seem against you,
And you in the battle alone?
Remember--at "Wit's End Corner"
Is just where God's power is shown.

Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner,"
Blinded with wearying pain,
Feeling you cannot endure it,
You cannot bear the strain,
Bruised through the constant suffering,
Dizzy, and dazed, and numb?
Remember--at "Wit's End Corner"
Is where Jesus loves to come.

Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner"?
Your work before you spread,
All lying begun, unfinished,
And pressing on heart and head,
Longing for strength to do it,
Stretching out trembling hands?
Remember--at. "Wit's End Corner"
The Burden-bearer stands.

Are you standing at "Wit's End Corner"?
Then you're just in the very spot
To learn the wondrous resources
Of Him who faileth not:
No doubt to a brighter pathway
Your footsteps will soon be moved,
But only at "Wit's End Corner"
Is the "God who is able" proved.
--Antoinette Wilson

Do not get discouraged; it may be the last key in the bunch that opens the door. --Stansifer

*******

And something Daniel and I keep telling/reminding ourselves...

This too shall pass!

Lights, Camera,...Drama?

As I mentioned on Friday's post, Aubrey just LOVES Christmas lights. We thought it would be rather cruel of us to not show her the famous lights at the Chesapeake Energy Corporation. So the other night, off we went to view some Christmas light magic!

We knew we were getting close when we saw this lining the street:

One turn into the campus and BAM!

The entire place was covered with lights. And I mean COVERED!

It was truly a sight to see, and Miss Aubrey was in the backseat just "OoooOoooOooo"ing the whole time.

Now that story sounds nice and all, doesn't it? I could just leave it at that and no one would be any wiser (That's the beauty of a blog, right? Paint your life as perfect as you'd like others to think it is.) Well, I'm going to let you in on the dark side of our first Christmas-Light-Viewing-Family-Tradition.

{Dan's defense is in these squiggly bracket things in bold print.}

This is a picture of me in the car right as we were about to head back home:

Don't I look like a really bad Twilight character reject? I mean, the flash on the camera doesn't help my already wintry paleness, but there's definitely a "I-could-suck-your-blood-right-now" look in my eye. {She's still beautiful. I thought this seemed like an ideal photo moment.}

The reason I wanted to attack was not because of my undying desire for Daniel, but because I was so annoyed with him at that present moment. {Who? Me?}

And here's why:

First of all, we drove through a very old part of Oklahoma City where the homes are ENORMOUS and lit up spectacularly for the holidays. {Not that great. Maybe 1 out of every 15 houses looked good.} Daniel drove 50 miles an hour {closer to 25mph, and under the speed limit} through this area, and there were stop signs every 20 feet {400 meters}. Because we literally flew by all the neat houses I couldn't get a picture of a single one of them, nor could Aubrey really take in the atmosphere at such velocity {again...under the speed limit}.

Once Daniel finished his Talledega race through the residential area, I said, "Lets go back to Chesapeake so Aubrey can end the evening on the really cool lights." He obliged after taking a wrong turn into Chesapeake where we had to weave through construction areas {How am I supposed to know my way around a place that I have never been? -- This is Ashley again: We had JUST been there!--}. Finally, when we got to the spot, Daniel wanted to get out and take some pictures. Fine. But make it snappy because it's getting late and we still needed to feed Aubrey dinner, bathe her, and get her to bed.

He leaves us in the car for what seems like an eternity and comes back with these pictures:


Are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING me?! Hence the face I'm giving in the aforementioned photo. {I was trying some of the manual features on our new camera. Not included are the fantastic shots I took, while Ashley and Aubrey just relaxed in the warm car.}

After some snarky remarks, sarcastic comments, and other nastiness we drove most of the way home in silence or with Aubrey singing in the backseat. {Silence is golden.}

As we pulled up to our house, little Aubrey's excitement over our own lights -- as weak as they may be -- made us lighten up (no pun intended). And all was well once again...

{I took this one, too.}

Goodnights with Daddy

Last night was monumental.

It marked Daniel's LAST night of being on-call! This means from here on out, we will have him home EVERY night! This is so HUGE I can't even begin to tell you.

We looked back over his year and realized he worked around eight weeks of 30 hour shifts. That's crazy. Technically, when you think about it, Aubrey and I went almost two months without him around. And what's even crazier is that most residents have it much worse. We're considered the "lucky ones."

We are really lucky now because we're granted more time with the person who brings endless smiles, side-cramping laughs, and overall fun to us girls at home.

Daniel -- we are so completely happy that you'll be coming home every evening. We'll be excitingly anticipating your arrival each afternoon...

Bedtime?

As promised, here's a short clip from the tail end of our weekend.

Fresh out of the bath, Aubrey looks anything but ready for bed...

Thirty minutes later... after sipping on a nice, warm bottle amidst the soft glow of her nightlight, this wired little munchkin was fast asleep.