Nightly Negotiations...

Last night, as Alexandra was headed to bed, she paused and looked at me.  

"Mommie, can we talk tomorrow?"

"About what?"

"Well, I want to discuss my bedtime."

Alexandra hates going to bed early.  I can't fault her for that, really - after all, I hate going to bed early as well.  But it becomes a fight and often I give in and let her stay up.  After all, I'm staying up, aren't I?

As we missed the bus by about 30 seconds this morning, I looked at her and asked if she understood why we need to stick to early bedtimes.  It wasn't a completely hopeless situation - we just had to go to the late bus stop and wait around for it to come.  Yet that meant that I missed out on about half an hour of morning study time in favor of watching Alexandra and Daylen and Gavin (they missed it by about 15 seconds!) waiting for the school bus to arrive.  I also got to witness the woman whose driveway is the bus stop get upset with the preschool children running in her flowerbeds.  I can't fault her for that - the mothers were standing right there and watching their children demolish the landscaping.  

What I can fault, however, is my inability to enforce early bedtimes in my home.  Tonight Alexandra and I will go to bed early... well, we would if it weren't for this Choral Union I've joined.  I don't get home tonight until around 9:30pm.  

Maybe this wasn't the best idea I've ever had...

Reasonable bedtimes should be my first priority, though.