Patting backs are fun

A Ugandan friend just returned from studying for a year and a half in the US.  She said, "oh, i forgot about sleeping under a mosquito net."  

Daniel has been begging to move out of the bunk bed with his sisters and his new "tent" net was a big hit and will allow him to have his own "bed".  The second shot, show the girls bed...

One thing daniel noted upon the completion of putting it up; not the prettiest scene as I do not have the patience of Job, or of Mark Bartels for that matter--- "where will you or Daddy sit at night while we fall asleep?"  Well, bucko, this is all part of mommy's plan to not be in the room while you fall asleep.  Yes, a family area of weakness-- "family dinners" and independent-climb-into-bed-happily children at night. 

I'll include a funny link to this issue (parent philosophies), but will say that we've partly responded to the children over the years.  If Mary had been the dominant voice, they'd all pop into bed and nestle into their pillows and sweet dreams.  But daniel seems to really fear the night; and my mom has told me some stories that indicate night was not easy for my dad (and still isn't?)  We have ebbed and flowed on how we handle that but ultimately I haven't wanted to make it a point of drama in our parenting. 

This has not been without consequence... Daniel recounted today, a time that I became Medusa (in hsi words) and after various needs of various children I got up from the bed and said, "enough, go to bed, I'm sick of this." (probably rachel was 1, mary 2, Daniel 5).  I.e. it has not necessarily been to our best mental health to accommodate children's bed-time wishes so fastidiously. 

So, I feel that we're entering a new stage.  Daniel can have a light on somewhere but the children can go to bed by themselves. and we can check on them. and when they are sick, we can pat their backs and pray for them.  I've been laughing over the last year, Rachel has adopted a phrase "patting backs are fun"--this she says imploringly if we insist that we won't pat her back but that we can stay in the room until she sleeps.  But this is a New Year.  And ding-dang it, they can sleep in their own room by 8pm and we can all be a happy family.  :)