We are spending the week in California with my in-laws and our extended family. Our six year old daughter, Eva, has been asking to sleep outside on the patio couch since we got here. She’s been excited to listen to the ocean and feel the cool air while she rests. Bedtime has felt crazy enough as it is since the four kids are all sleeping in one room and it is a new environment. We learned on our last trip with all of them sleeping together that as much as we could make it look similar to bedtime at home, the better. So the first few nights on this trip we mimicked our home routine of brushing teeth, then lavender oil and allowing them about an hour of time in bed with the lights dimmed to read (we had Jack reading to Elisha and Eva reading to Elizabeth). They did great in that time however once it was “lights out” they went bonkers! It took almost an additional hour before they finally fell asleep.
So last night when Eva asked again if she could sleep on the porch we decided we would give it a try. I put Jack and the twins in the kids bedroom and Eva was outside with her dad. My in-laws dog Layla is with us and Elisha just loves her. Layla ran into the kids bed to sleep with them which I would normally try to stop. My worry gets in the way of things like that because I feel like it will get them all riled up when they should be resting. But this time I went with it, and actually explained to Jack and Elisha they’d have to lay really still so Layla wouldn’t run away. It was motivation for them to stay calm in bed because they wanted Layla to stay with them! And Eva had such a special time on the patio, her dad stayed out there with her and she even got to see a firework show from the amusement park near us. I slept on the couch inside in case she got scared and came inside (which she did at about 3am) but then we just slept on the couch together.
Another thing I’m having to be okay with today is letting them watch TV more than I would like. Part of me absolutely hates this because back in AZ it’s so so hot that being outside feels difficult. And here the weather is beautiful here and I just imagined us being outside the whole time, however they are getting too burnt out and tired from it. And then too excited to actually nap so end up just overtired and out of sorts. We also have had so much fun the past two days at the beach that Eva was not drinking enough water and got sick after coming to sleep inside last night. I’m accepting that it is okay to stay inside and be calmer rather than trying to soak up every moment of 73 degree beautiful weather while we are here.
There is a lot more I am having to learn on this trip (as I do with every trip we take while having four young kids) but these are pivots we’ve made that led to fun. I was pretty tired and emotional this morning after getting very little sleep last night. However I am grateful for my in laws who are always graceful and my husband who sent me away on a walk to get a honey latte. I had a little bit of time to just regroup for the rest of the day. There’s been stress and tears and weariness but all of it is worth it one hundred percent. We spent some time helping the older kids ride bikes and now after a movie plan to head to the beach! I hope this can serve as a reminder that things may not always look how you planned, but a good pivot and change in perspective is always a possibility.
Blessings,
Ellen
