Returning to Normal

Ah,, life is back to normal for a few days. The last week was a blast, but boy was I behind on sleep this morning before a four hour nap!

Last Saturday we had friends over for the Fourth. They arrived around 5:30, we had dinner at 6, let the kids play until 7:30, put them down for the night, and played games until midnight. AJU5 woke up around 100:15 because there were constant fireworks going off in our neighborhood. Luckily, we were able to get her back down after the friends left (with only a few whimpers between then and 2 when the fireworks stopped). Sleep lost: 2-3 hours

Sunday we got up and went to church. Immediately following church, we left for the VBS trip. So, there was no sleeping in! We got to our destination around 4, hung out at the hotel, and then went to church there (6-7). After church there was a meeting with all the groups doing VBS that week and then headed to Carl's Jrs for dinner. After dinner, I planned on putting AJU5 down for the night (it was around 8:30), but she had other plans. She wanted to play with her friends! SO, we went to the late=night meeting and returned to the room around 9:30. She refused to sleep in her bed (pack-n-play), so it was a fitful night with her in bed with me! Sleep lost: about an hour

Monday AJU5 didn't nap well. We had the morning off and then went door-knocking to invite kids to VBS. I tired to get her to nap before lunch, but she refused. She did nap some in the van along the way though. That night we went to dinner around 6 and she fell asleep on the way back to the hotel and stayed down all night. Sleep lost: None (minus a possible afternoon nap)

Tuesday was the first day of VBS. We left around 8:45 in the morning and returned to the hotel around 1:30 each day. AJU5 always napped on the way back to the hotel, but she never slept more than an hour or so. As for bed, I was hoping to repeat Monday. We went to dinner earlier because the teens were going hiking that night, so I guess 6 was too early for bedtime. It wasn't until about 8:30/9:00 I got her to sleep in my bed (again, pack-n-play refused). So, another fitbul night of sleep for me sharing a bed with her! Sleep lost: About an hour

Naps for Wednesday were the same. But, we had church at night! We didn't get back to the hotel until 8ish. And again, she "required" my bed and body to sleep. She didn't drop off until after 9, and like almost every other day was up by 6:30. Sleep lost: About an hour

Thursday morning we packed up 90% of our things before VBS. We didn't leave VBS until later because we had to clean and take everything down. So, we didn't get back to the hotel until about 2:30. I finished loading our car and we hit the road. Luckily for me, she fell asleep about 30 minutes into the trip home. That was 30 minutes of crying, but she did crash. We got home around 5, and had 3 hours before my sister and her family arrived. AJU5 got a bath and then we hung out and watched TV for a little bit. I tired to get her to bed around 7:30, but she had none of it. Finally, around 9, she went down (after eating some more and playing with her cousins). The rest of us went to bed around 10:30. Sleep lost: about 1.5 hours

Friday we went ot he park and played and then hung out inside for the afternoon because it was quite warm outside. AJU5 napped some after breakfast, but then refused an afternoon nap, probably because her cousing was napping the in the same room and he had two of her stuffed animals! After dinner, she was more than willing to go down for bed. But, her cousins woke her up when they went to bed because they were not happy about it (crying). We tried to get her back down, btu she treated it like she had had a nap! Finally around 11, we sent the pack-n-play up in our closet and she crashed. We didn't go to bed until almost 1 because we were up playing Eurorails - a very long game which we just stopped because we were all exhausted! She woke up 3 hours later and came into bed with us. Sleep lost: about 4 hours

So, this morning I was dead tired! I laid ont he couch until my sister and her family left around 8. Then I went back to bed until almost noon! It wasn't 4 hours of constant sleep, but it was still 4hours of resting. I feel so much more awake (although I could still take a nap if I wanted to). Life will be fairly normal around her now. My prents come in this next week for a few days, but it shouldn't affect AJU5's sleep and hence mine much at all. We don't have any other trips planned until August. So, hopefully we can get back on schedule!

Okay, that was a very long post! Pictures to come sometime :)