No Vacancy

What happens when all 6 of us try to sleep in one hotel room...

We took a quick spur-of-the-moment trip to visit our new home. Nana and GrandBob came with us to help with the little ones. I wanted to see the house so I could start planning furniture placement and to help with packing and labeling boxes. And we wanted the girls to see the new house to help with the transition. We drove up Sunday night and got two adjoining hotel rooms and drove home yesterday afternoon (with a slight detour because I missed a turn and ended up driving an extra 20 miles before GrandBob caught it! Oops!).

Bedtime....

Everyone is in Nana and GrandBob's hotel room. The little girls tell everyone goodnight and we go to our room. I read them a story and explain where everyone will be sleeping. We talk about being quiet so everyone can go to sleep and how Meredith will come in to sleep in a few minutes, then Mommy and Daddy will come in too. They all say okay and seem just fine w/ it all. So I pick them up one at a time and sing the night-night song, lay them in the crib and go to the ajoining room where everyone else is. With in seconds I hear the girls doing their usual bedtime singing and talking. After a few minutes I peek in to tell them it's time to go to bed and they need to hug their babies and close their eyes. Amanda stands up to tell me she's not tired. Melissa stands up to tell me she doesn't want to sleep. I hug them and tell them to lay down... after a bit more convincing they do and are quiet. I tell Claire good-night again and go next door where Greg reads Meredith a bedtime story and explains to her that she must be very quiet and just lie still hugging her baby. No loud singing or reading books by night light tonight! He lays her down and comes back to the adjoining room. Within seconds Meredith pops her face back in and says, "Amanda won't sleep!" I go back to the room...

Me: Amanda it's time to go night-night.
A: but I don't want to.
Me: your cat is tired and you need to sleep so we can see our new house tomorrow.
(Melissa stands up)
M2: I want out, I not tired.
Me: Night night Amanda. Lay down. Melissa, your bears need to sleep. Please lay down and tell them night night.
M1: Laaaaa, laaaaa, Laaaaaaaa! (singing)
Me: Meredith - shhh!
Good job laying down to go to sleep Claire.
(who never sat up or said anything else again that night!)
M1: I have to go potty.
(we try to go, but alas it was a stalling technique. again. tonight)
Me: Meredith, go lay back down and do not get up again.
(I lay down in bed figuring I should stay in the room)
M1: LAAAAAA, Laaaaa, LAAAAA! (singing)
Me: Lay down.
(Amanda stands up and pats me on the back)
A: Night-night mommy.
Me: Night-night Amanda. Lay down and go to sleep. (she does)
M2: I no go night-night.
Me: Melissa, lay down. Your bears are tired.
M2: No.
Me: Melissa, your bears are tired, they want to go to sleep.
M2: NO!
Me: If you don't lay down to go to sleep, I will come get your bears to sleep with me because they are very, very tired.
M2: (whimpering) no! (she lays down and not another peep out of her).
M1: (sits up in bed) Laaaa, Laaaaa, LAAAAAAA! (singing)
Me: Meredith lay down and go to bed.
M1: But I'm not...
Me: Now. Or Katie (her doll) has to come sleep with me.
(M1 lays down and only makes a few. more. noises... and lots of sighing...)
A: (stands up) Night night mommy. I want Daddy come in.
Me: Daddy will be in in a minute. Lay down and tell your kitty cat night night.
(Amanda lays down)

Quiet...

Now repeat a few of those lines above in random order for the next 10 minutes or so. And then finally... quiet. Until 1am.

M2: Mommy I need tissue!