Bedtime Questions

Rebekah was the type of baby/child that when put to bed, we said goodnight and never heard a peep from her until we got her out of her crib/bed in the morning. As a baby she would actually reach for her crib as we were rocking her, wanting to get into her crib. I honestly can recall maybe 2 nights that she woke up in the middle of the night or got out of her bed (once she started sleeping through the night) and both of those were due to high fevers. We transitioned her from crib to bed at 2 years old without so much as a peep. I know we were lucky! I use the word "were" because that suddenly changed this past spring. The arrival of spring not only brought beautiful daffodils to our neighborhood, but it also brought "THE WOODPECKER." The residents of B Road were blessed this spring with a woodpecker who decided that pecking on our gutters was much more productive than pecking on TREES!! This woodpecker hit every house on my street, early in the mornings. The first time I heard it (at 6am) I flew out of bed thinking that a jackhammer was digging for signs on water on my gutters. That ended Rebekah's 2 1/2 year sleeping pattern. She also flew out of bed and immediately came out of her room crying. I don't blame her, but from that moment on, the beautiful sleeping arrangement changed. After the woodpecker incident came the 8:00 spring and summer thunderstorms (perfect timing Mother Nature). We didn't have to check the weather channel, we knew what time the summer storms would hit. She also began to notice the trash truck that just so happens to come during nap time every Wednesday and so on and so on. We finally got her back into her bed time routine, but she no longer reaches for the bed, gives a kiss and says good night . . . No, we go through a long list of questions. If these are not asked and answered in perfect order, Rebekah does not go to bed. Listed below is the NIGHTLY bedtime conversation that we have after books, bible, prayers, hugs and kisses:

Rebekah: I want my door opened.
Mom and Dad: No, we close our doors at night.
R: I want my door cracked.
M&D: We close our doors at night.
R: I want my bedroom light on.
M&D: Bedroom light goes off at night.
R: Please leave the hall light on.
M&D: OK, we'll leave the hall light on.
R: No woodpeckers?
M&D: No woodpeckers.
R: No rain?
M&D: No rain.
R: No thunder?
M&D: No thunder. (Hopefully, we pray)
R: No birdies?
M&D: No birdies.
R: No trash trucks?
M&D: No trash trucks. We love you. See you in the morning.
R: I love you.

Door Shuts.
Rebekah: I want you to stay upstairs (thanks to her brother for that one).
M&D: OK (as we are walking downstairs).

Sometimes we throw in an extra animal just to get her--"No whales either, Rebekah" To that Rebekah giggles and says, "What?"


Thanks Woody!