I’m just gonna say it. I hate bedtime. Every. Effin. Night. I hate it. Oh, and please don’t tell me how “hate” is such a strong word. I know it is, but I don’t know that it’s strong enough. I’ve tried putting them to bed earlier. I’ve tried putting them to bed later. I’ve tried warm epsom salt baths, complete with lavender oil and finished with gentle foot massages with kid-friendly magnesium butter. This only makes their powers stronger, I swear! I use essential oils on my kids for everything from cuts and scrapes to ant bites to big emotions to growing pains. And they work! Here’s the thing: with the sleepy time oils, they fight sleep. And it’s an excellent fight! Without the oils, I might as well just pack my bags and hand over the house keys to the kids because they are NEVER going to sleep. Every night, what I refer to as the witching hour hits and I feel like I’m in some sort of cage match, a fight to the death, hope-someone-survives-this-hell battle. By the time I finally get every family member (husband and dogs included) calmed down and in a bed, I’m ready to flee the country.
The yelling. The screaming. The fit throwing. The temper tantrum having. The running. The chasing. The nonstop giggling. The off-the-wall bouncing. The constant “can I have a drink?” asking. The fighting. The whining. The begging. The crying. The book after book after book after book after book reading. The moaning and groaning. The rocking and rocking and rocking. The tossing and turning. The squirming and fidgeting from every single living creature in this house! It ALL makes me completely and totally insane!
And then suddenly - there’s silence. I hear nothing but the purr of the diffuser, the calm, sweet breathing of two beautiful children, the snoring of two old dogs, and my husband walking through the house checking the locks and ensuring our safety. In that quiet, there is a peace that envelopes me wholly and I think “How could I ever live without these beautiful souls in my life? How did I ever become so blessed?” My head clears. My body relaxes. My heart swells. My soul breathes. And I thank God for all the madness and miracles He has given me.
But seriously. I hate bedtime.