Bedtime with Gillian: Still not on the Other Side

First, some pics of the little monkeys:

Bedtime Attire: we're getting our moneys worth out of that free orange shirt

Kids on a picnic with Paula and their munchkin friends. 

Devouring Coconut (Dairy Free) Chocolate Popsicles (they were in heaven)!

Back to Bedtime:

About six months ago, I shared with our dear and limited readership that our biggest bedtime complaint with Gillian was regarding time investment (large) required to "put Gillian to bed".  

While there was a 10 step program just to get out of the room "way back when", it pales in comparison to the mental breakdown (Gillian's) and personal angst (mine) that follows the click of Gillian's door closing after we say goodnight.

Almost every night for the past few months, Chad and I have been treated to the bloodcurdling screams of a three year old maniac, trapped like a rat (thank god) in her crib, making a wide array of demands. They include (but aren't limited to):

• I want a tissue!
• I have to go pee pee in the potty!
• I want a hug!*
• I want the princess book
• I want my agua!
• I want to see the moon!
• Take the tape out of my room! (I left scotch tape on her dresser, ten feet from her crib, invisible to the naked eye, and she wanted it gone).

For your viewing pleasure and to share with you a small sample of the peace that Chad and I get to enjoy each and every evening, below are some of Gillian's finest moments. See if you can translate her screams into one of the demands above (just like a NYT crossword puzzle)!

Footnote on Hug Request

*recently, we lied to Gillian and told her that we weren't going to dinner (despite her noticing that we weren't in our pajamas at 7pm and asking if we were going out). We left her with one of Paula's friend's, Lucelly, who Gillian knows but would certainly find surprising to see in her room at 9pm. Gillian was performing her nightly rendition of a person on the brink of needing medical attention.  We told Lucelly that this charade could go on for a while, and only if she mentioned stinky would you want to consider going in.

As luck would have it, Gillian said she had to go pee pee, and lucelly went up to see if she was wearing a diaper.  Without much introduction or explanation as to why she was there, Lucelly told Gillian to go to bed.

The next day, I apologized profusely to Gilly that we didn't tell her Lucelly was coming. She said, "I just wanted a hug and she wouldn't give me one." Poor Gigi!!!