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Sugar and Spice


 When you welcome a new baby into your family, especially when you already have older kids, it can almost feel more like (please don't take this the wrong way) adding a pet.  You have this new human who has needs and definitely affects your lifestyle, but he/she isn't adding thoughts or opinions yet to the daily family routine.  They count, but they don't really get a say in things.  I realize that we can’t stay in this phase forever, but I am not sure I am ready for what comes next.  

As our girls move away from the early days of "mad and inconsolable" to "opinions with some words," I can safely say they have kept us on our toes from day one.  Now that we are on our way to the next developmental stage please, dear Lord, let it be an easy one.  

Tonight, let's just be honest, we ae still fighting the bedtime blues.  I may have been a little too excited to put them to bed.  I may have started the whole routine a little too early.  That's on me.  Nonetheless, I was committed.  I said good night, and they are expected to stay in their own beds.  They can look at books or play with babies, it just can't get too rowdy.  Inevitably, somebody gets up and we have to go through the process of getting them back in bed.  

The first few times they got up tonight, I put them back in bed and used a stern voice to tell them they needed to stay there.  I was hoping they'd take me seriously.  By the sixth round, I was annoyed.  I went in the room and saw nobody.  "Girls!  Get in bed!"  I said a little too loudly.  Suddenly, Carter's head popped out from under her sister's bed.  She didn't make a sound, but had a huge cheeseball grin.  I pulled her the rest of the way out from under the bed and Emerson rolled out after her.  They both got my full, "In bed!" speech, and I walked out of the room still feeling frustrated.  

As I closed the door I heard Emerson say, "Love you..." in the sweetest two-year-old voice she could conjure.  I couldn't help but laugh.  She's such a little manipulator, and I know it, but it totally works anyway.  See?  Can you see why I'm afraid?  We have Carter full of cheese and Emerson full of sugar.  We are doomed.        


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