Bad Night for the Boy of Steel

Monster didn't fall asleep until nearly 11:00, when bedtime is usually 9:00.

I wasn't there. I was playing around here, on twitter and at a message board I use to live at and Mikey thought he would give me a break by putting the monster down. over 2 hours later, they both fell collapsed from exhaustion. With me, he generally falls asleep about 10 minutes after we turn off Lion King (at least since we started the new night time regime, see below). I'm also sure hubbie didn't do the night time routine quite right (and why would he, we aren't interchangeable). Who knows which is worse, my not being there or his not doing things the same way.

Part of me wants to feel guilty. The other part of me really enjoyed the Guillermo Del Torro movie I watched (Devil's Backbone for those interested).

Such is the way most of the time. Relaxation comes at a price for all of us. I can wrap up these nights in self-important rhetoric-he needs to learn to be more flexible (uh, hello, he's autistic), it's an opportunity for him to learn to handle insecurity, blah, blah, blah. I can wrap these nights up in self-righteous entitlement. To be honest, comparatively speaking, this isn't anything compared to the way things were. No one was bitten, no one is bruised or bleeding. There was a time when bedtime was a full contact sport that took 2-3 hours on a bad night. Now monster tries to drive me insane with his whale song. Hubbie is deaf to the whale song torture, frustrates the little one horribly.

Doesn't matter, in the end. Sometimes I need to recharge my batteries and some times I'm just a self-centered Twit (or is that Tweet?). Sometimes I want to show Hubbie how hard it is to deal with Monster's bedtime routine, and have to laugh at my own martyrdom when hubbie falls asleep before monster.

And sometimes, like tonight, it's all of the above.

I know three blog entries in one night is likely excessive (or at least, narcissistic), and I doubt I'll be as prolific in the future.


Boy of Steel (AKA the Monster) Bedtime Routine (this week, anyway).

First, Warm bath with 2 cups of epson salts and about 1-2 tablespoons of lavender oil. I let Zach tell me what words to write on the wall (bathtub crayons, wonderful toy) and which toys we are going to play with).

Second, vigorous drying with warm towel. I let Monster decide which clothes to put on when.

Third, swinging during the sneak peak portion of the night's movie-which has been Lion King lately.

Fourth, after sneak peaks, it's time to climb into the TV room bed-just a twin mattress on the floor.

Fifth-lavender oil massage, starting at the feet. Deep pressure up and down first legs, then arms. Gently pulling on his legs/arms. He really likes his toes done.

Sixth, joint compressions, ankles/knees/hips, wrists/elbows/shoulders

Seventh, brushing legs/arms

Eight (if I get this far) lavender oil massage of his back, followed by brushing.

Nine, watch movie until Monster decides he's done and then go to bed.

Total time is about an 60-90 minutes. So far, it's working well (6/7 nights successful, just this night was bad)