The Ruse

It was late yesterday afternoon when it dawned on me that things were going quite well regarding the likelihood of getting Jaz into bed nice and early (she's usually great at going to bed and getting to sleep all by herself at a reasonable hour but lately she had been challenging this) - I probably should have known that just for having this thought I would be punished.
After getting a phone call from my gorgeous sister in law asking if we would like to meet her and the kids at the local playcentre (we very willingly obliged) I managed to keep Princess Jaz awake all afternoon. A very tough job indeed after all the running, playing, climbing and jumping that is done at an 'inside park'.
For the unitiated, a playcentre can be a stay at home parents complete bliss, the critters are locked away - oh I mean the precious cherubs are kept safe from harms way by kiddie proof fencing - and are able to run and jump and climb and tumble and play to their hearts content, thus burning off all the excess energy they have built up over the preceeding, gloomy, rain inhibiting, inside, telle watching, tantrum throwing days.  All this with very little risk of injury
Mums and Dads and Grandparents and care givers can sit and have a cuppa and a piece of cake - or the whole gammut, wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli, pies, hot dogs, foccasias, you name it. Anyway, my point is that it can be great for both the kids and us.
Unfortunately for us if Jaz has a nap during the day I have little to no hope of her being asleep at any reasonable hour that night. So the 'keep her awake at all costs' game ensued. Yesterday it looked as though I was going to have a real battle on my hands. Her little eyes looked like they needed propping open with match sticks, there were yawns and even tears and yet she managed to stay awake. Brilliant.
Craig (My fiance and Jaz and Kaydes very proud Daddy) was going to be late home and that to me meant one thing... I could feed Jaz nice and early (no need to wait for family dinner time) and start the bedtime routine at an hour usually reserved for Daddy cuddles and play time, so I did. Dinner was served shortly after 5pm, followed by PJ's and a dressing gown to get all snuggly, a 'shake milk' (Warm milo, shaken not stirred in a sippy cup while we sing shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your milk shake, shake your milk shake... and Jaz shakes her booty to get ride of any excess energy) and two bedtime stories, then it was bed time - 7pm...
Oh I could feel the 'me time' coming, it was exhilerating...
And then it began....
Jaz - I need the light on
Me - Ok, you can have your light on for 5 minutes and then I will come and turn it off
Lights off time
Jaz - Noooooo I NEED the light on
Me - No, I will leave the hall light on but your bedroom light needs to be off, now put your head on the pillow, shut your eyes and go to sleep
Jaz - ok
Ahhh telle - nope
Jaz - Maaarmeeeeee I neeeeeeed youuuuuuu
Me - what is it Jaz?
Jaz - I need cuddles
Me - Hmmm ok, a quick cuddle... there you go, now sleep
Jaz - I need more cuddles
Me - no you don't, Mummy loves you but I know you are just avoiding going to sleep
Jaz - yeah... *smiles* but I love you and want cuddles
She knows I cannot resist cuddling her, lots of cuddles later I insist she goes to sleep - It is now nearly 8pm...
I can feel the me time fading away as I hear singing and strange clunking noises coming from her room, I leave it for a while to see if she just stops and falls asleep... sure enough at around 8.30 everything is quiet. I sneak down to tuck her in only to find an empty bed... "Hi Mum, I not asleep" (sitting on the floor with a ball)
Me - Why not?
Jaz - I get out of bed
Me - well why did you do that?
Jaz - So I not sleep
Grrrrrrrrr
Jaz - I will sleep in your bed
Me - Quickly losing patience and feeling the 'me time' slipping by quickly...Hmph, just go, now, get in and do not make me come back down here, go to sleep! (Yawn)
Jaz - Just lay with me for a cuddle? I love you lots and lots and I need cuddles (master negotiator and emotional blackmailer in the making here)
Me - Ok, but just for a quick cuddle ok?
Jaz - Ok,
As I lay there next to her, warm and snuggly, in my own bed, she snuggled right into me and put her warm soft, still slightly toddler chubby hand on my face, I could feel the cozy, warm, fuzzy embrace of sleep taking over, just as a little voice said "you so cute Mummy, you sleep now"
It was a ruse!!!! The nearly three year old princess had conned me into getting into bed and falling asleep before her!!! No doubt she had plans of getting up and watching Mickey Mouse and Dora till the wee hours... For a second, wrapped in fuzzy sleepy thoughts I wondered if it would really be THAT bad if I DID sleep???
And then as if in answer to my question the phone rang (Thank you Jo) - jolting me out of la la land....
10 minutes on the phone and Princess Jaz was fast asleep, it turned 9 o'clock and Craig waltzed through the door.
No me time whatsoever and after being awoken at 5.30am (after a 2am feed) by Kayde, shortly followed by a still very sleep looking Jaz I know that today I am bound to have a grumpy, sleep deprived toddler on my hands who I will inevitable have to prevent from having a nap, in the vein hope of some 'me time' tonight...