Early Riser

Yesterday both the girls teachers at preschool pulled me aside to say they were concerned. Seems Anna asked to lay down several times during the morning and Silvia was very quiet, shy and withdrawn all day. They didn't have fevers or seem sick, but the change in their temperments was enough to stand out.

It got me thinking. Anna's been WILLINGLY taking a two-hour nap with me in the afternoon while Silvia goes down. And Silvia's nap has been very deep, with nary a word of protest. They're still going to sleep at 8 P.M. as usual, so where was the disconnect?

Then I remembered that they've been getting up together in the morning, playing for a bit before coming to get Kurt and me. Looking back now, I can see that these morning meetings have been getting earlier and earlier. Yesterday I heard a door close loudly at 6 A.M. and when I investigated, I found the two of them sitting up in Anna's bed, playing with flashlights in the dark.

"Mama, Cici came into my room. AGAIN," Anna said with resignation.

Ah-HA!

So last night I informed the culprit that she was to leave Anna alone and when she woke up in the morning she could come lay down with me if she wanted to. Want to know what time she's been getting up?

4 A.M.

FOUR in the frickin' morning.

No wonder Anna's been in a stupor! Having a little whirlwind crawl in bed with you and start talking non-stop before the sun has even considered coming will take the mickey out of anyone!

While having a nearly-three-year-old in bed wasn't exactly restful for me, either, at least she stayed quiet and actually fell back asleep. Guess I'm not as entertaining as her big sister. But now that I've got her leaving Anna alone in the wee hours, I'm stuck with the task of getting her out of MY room.

Any ideas for getting her to sleep til 6? Besides drugging her?