3:15, 3:30, 3:45, etc.

Akila got up at 3:15 this morning, and never went back to bed. I'm tired. The kids are tired. Michael is tired. It is amazing how one child can affect the entire family. She has been sleeping pretty well since we switched her off of the Dexedrine to Ritalin. This was happening fairly regularly last spring before the switch.

I knew this was coming. Out of the blue, last night at bedtime, she announced that if she woke up in the middle of the night, she was going to come down to the family room to play. I said no, that would not work, and that if she woke up, to lay in bed until she fell back asleep. She argued with me and started to rage, and that was that. So 3:15, she comes sauntering into my room wide awake. There is no putting her back to bed when this happens, believe me, I have tried.

If I make her go to her room, I am guaranteed to have all 4 kids awake in less than 30 minutes. I have even tried during several of these occasions, to lie down with her in her room, or have her come into our bed (which I hate doing). Doesn't work. So, she came to the family room, and woke me up all night, or should I say morning?, about every 15 minutes with things like this:

• There is a giant centipede with a pointy back
• Will you make me some pancakes
• Is it a school day?
• Do you know where the DVD remote is?
• It is raining (she woke up before the rain and thunder started)
• Is it a school day? (again)
• Can you come help me?
• I need a band-aid ( which she can get herself at anytime)

I think around 6:30, is when she woke up the other 3 kids for sure. It sounds like she had tried a few times before that. When I got up, they were all 4 in Akila's room watching a movie on the mini DVD player (which Akila had gotten out of our room while we slept). She also had my cell phone, and had been in my purse and gotten gum. Lovely.

It was not a very fun morning, and I tried to be patient. Hezekiah spilled his juice all over in the dining room and I didn't react very well. I didn't yell psychotically like I wanted to do, I just chastised him for not telling me right away. This is my pet peeve, when they spill, and don't react quickly to turn the glass back over, run for a towel, or at the very least yell for mom.

I am going to school this morning to meet with Akila's new teacher to give her some more info about Akila. She has been really good so far which is typical. She is taking it all in, the newness of a new classroom. Thankfully, she has never been her worst at school though, she saves the rages and really out of control behavior for home, which is how I should want it to be, but I really don't. Obviously, I don't want her to be out of control at all. Afterschool has been challenging already, I'm counting down until the afterschool brochure comes out; I may have to ask about that today (and then come home and take a nap).