Go to SLEEP Little Ella Bug!

The following story happened a few weeks ago and every time I think about it I smile.  I smile because it captures Ella personality at the moment.

She is having trouble going to sleep. Since it is Summer we don't have the consistent bedtime that we do during the school year. So some nights she fights going to sleep. So the other night we had some friends over and Ella could hear the fun in the living room and didn't want to stay in her bed. I went in to lay down with her to try to get her to fall asleep. So I went in, curled up next to her and started rubbing her back and closed my eyes trying to get her to sleep. Suddenly I realized I was being hit.......I of course said to her "Why are you hitting me?" She replied with "Momma I hit you and I need to go sit on the stairs in time out." Then she started crawling out of bed to head to the stairs. I grabbed her and pulled her back into bed and said "Nice try Ella, go to sleep!"

As I started this post Benji heard a noise in Cooper's room, where currently all of our bags are for our trip to my parents tomorrow, and Ella was in there COVERED in toothpaste. He grabbed her and realized she had it all over her arms, hair and down her legs. She just had a bath an hour earlier!!!!

So he grabbed her and put her in the shower to wash her down again and I started the clean up in the room. I found toothpaste all over the floor and evidence that she tried to brush her dolls teeth. It was quite a mess. We are not quite smiling about this story yet, don't know how long it will take!

Dear Ella Bug,

When Mommy and Daddy put you to bed and say goodnight, close your eyes and go to sleep. Nothing good happens past bedtime. So please GO TO SLEEP!

Love, your tired Mommy and annoyed Daddy

These pictures were taken a while back but they fit this post!

 This is of Ella when I went in to check on her one night to make sure she had fallen asleep. Notice she is wearing her winter boots.

This night she decided to take all of her PJ's out of her drawer to sleep with!

I write this post so that this behavior is well documented. Someday her own children may behave this way and there will be no doubt where it comes from.