All bed time routines went to hell when Robbie transitioned from the crib.  And I am on the warpath, determined to reclaim my evenings.  There is no more cuddling to Buzz Lightyear before going to bed.  No more staying up, interrupting the sacred adult quiet time that used to exist in our house for a beautiful three hours before we went to bed.

I know it will be hard for the next week.  Miserable, even.  Lots of crying and begging.  Offering to stay up and let Daddy watch Buzz Lightyear.  Demanding more books be read.  Requesting coloring books.  Putting together puzzles.  Standing naked behind the gate (Robbie, not Justin or myself).  But we must stay strong.  We must stick to my naive new routine (dinner, bath, TV show, books, and quiet time).

It was particularly difficult tonight.  First, because Robbie’s cries shot straight to our hearts.  He wanted Daddy to give him a kiss.  He needed more books.  And he was just so tired that all he could do was cry.  But, more important than our child’s discomfort, it is the NCAA championship game, and our beloved Go Cats are playing.  Robbie decided, a mere three minutes before tip-off, that he was miserable with his current confinement and required both of his parents for the first twenty minutes of the game.

But now, at 10:08, all is quiet.  Including my beloved husband who is trying dutifully not to scare our downstairs neighbors to death with his cheering as the Go Cats lead Kansas by 17 points.  Here’s to Gr8ness!