Right On Schedule

As I was putting the girls to bed the other night, I realized something.

I am finally able to kiss them both goodnight, tuck Olivia in, hug Alyssa one more time and then…leave the room. And after I leave the room guess what happens…

They go to sleep.

Can you even imagine the world of possibilities this opens up for me?

I mean, seriously!

Okay, so yes, I’ve been able to do this with Alyssa for a few years. But Olivia…I’d begun to despair that I’d ever be able to just tuck her into bed and leave the room and expect her to actually stay in bed and go to sleep.

But as I walked away a few nights ago with whispers that I’d be right back, I realized that Olivia is actually right on time with being able to go to sleep on her own.

Right on time if you compare her to her sister that is. I realize that in other households, with other (better) parents and other kids, my girls are about, oh, nine years behind on sleep patterns.

But whatever! We’re not going to compare our house to other houses, we’re going to compare my two girls to each other.

And when I do compare their sleep patterns, like I said, Olivia is right on schedule. I’m pretty sure Alyssa was around nine when I was finally able to tuck her in, kiss her goodnight and leave the room with the whispered, “Be right back.”

And when I came back fifteen minutes later (or two hours, but who’s counting? Certainly not my sleeping children) she’d be sound asleep. When I’d tried that tactic even six months earlier, she’d be up looking for me after ten minutes.

Six months ago? Olivia was still coming to find me if I tried to tuck her in and leave the room. But now, voila! She just smiles when I kiss her goodnight, whispers that she loves me and she goes to sleep.

Let me rephrase that. She goes to sleep, in her bed, by herself, without me singing to her, or rubbing her back, or lying next to her. She goes to sleep even though I’VE LEFT THE ROOM.

And she did it pretty much right on the same schedule as her sister.

Go me, right? I’m right up there in the running for mother of the freaking year now that I’ve managed to sleep train my nine year old.

I always said they wouldn’t need me to sleep with them when they went off to college. If I go by that goal, we’re WAY ahead of schedule and my girls could actually be considered sleep prodigies.

Okay, so we don’t need to take it that far. But I’m celebrating over here, is what I’m saying.