Well Kate has decided that the middle of the night is unpleasant for sleeping. She wakes up crying, doesn’t go back to sleep, and wants out of her crib to watch TV for hours. I step foot in her room and she wants nothing to do with cuddles or hugs or… well, actually she wants nothing to do with me. I am just her jail-breaker and the one who controls the remote. The good news is that after a couple of hours of me either on the computer or sacked out on the couch (depending how exhausted I am) she starts to droop, I put her in her crib, and we both sleep until morning…. actually she’s been sleeping in until 10 or later, which screws up any plans I had for the day of course. I figure I could lay in her room while she screams for hours, but this seems more expedient at getting me back to sleep. She did this last time she was teething, too. And as soon as those teeth came back in she was back to sleeping normally. The only question is how long this will take. Assuming this IS teeth… I am never quite sure until they actually come through and it’s over. Maybe she’s just messing with me.

She hasn’t been up for cuddling much at all this week. I ask for a hug or a kiss and am just as likely to get a head-shake and “No” as a hug or kiss. I pull her onto my lap (like I usually do) and she immediately squirms off. The only time I actually get her to sit peacefully on my lap is when I am reading her books. I really like reading her books. I sneak in kisses. I also sneak in cuddles when we play the mommy-gonna-get-you tickle game.

The “No” thing has definitely progressed. I mentioned that she was using it conversationally, contemplatively, as if she’s considered my request and respectfully declines at this moment. It was (is) quite cute, really. But this week she seems to have made a mental leap, like she now realizes she can use this tool to assert independent thought. She is now a person with a strong opinion and the capability of expressing it in words.
“Elmo!” “Not right now, we’re going to watch mommy’s show.” “No! No! Elmo!”
“Let’s put your jacket on.” “No!” “We have to put your jacket on, put your arm in,” “Nooooo!”
“Eat!” “Okay, here’s your lunch.” “…. No. Done. Down.”

It is definitely more tiring. I joke at times (like when I’m getting her to identify letters and numbers) that Kate is a monkey, performing on command. I’m starting to question exactly who the monkey is.

I find it’s a hard line to figure out… what things to just let go and what things to enforce. It’s pretty clear that if I made an argument every time she said no to me it would be a very, very long, stressful day for both of us. Most things I figure don’t really matter. If she doesn’t want to put her jacket on right that second I’ll wait a minute, mention the car, and try again. The TV is a bad habit that I am not thrilled about, but I know we’re both bored as hell in the house. I try to get out once a day with her to some kind of playgroup or activity or just walking the mall, but this week with her really messed up sleep we’ve managed to miss everything. But there’s a point when I can’t take any more Elmo or Super Why, I turn it off and we find other things to do: drawing, chase-and-hide, blocks, piano. I am finding however that with the exception of the chase games she generally doesn’t want my participation, she just wants me to sit there next to her and watch her. That gets very boring. Apparently we need some new ideas… and to make it out of the house in time for the fun stuff. My house is a whole lot of boring right now.