Sleep Problems

Every family has its own issues.

Ours is that our girls refuse to sleep in their own room. The beautiful lavender bunk bed has become an expensive toy.

Every night, the four of us have to find new ways to configure ourselves so we can comfortably fit into our QS bed.

The 8 yo says she will if her sister will sleep with her.

The 3 yo says she needs to be with her family i.e. mummy and daddy.

Last night, hubby gave up and opted to be first under the covers.

When I moved to snuggle up to him, J objected.

"I want you to sleep HERE!" she screamed, pointing at the far corner of the bed. She wanted to be the one in the middle.

Big Sister came to the rescue.

"Mei mei, listen to me. You are not making sense. Daddy and Mummy are husband and wife and husbands and wives sleep together."

There was some other stuff she said which I've forgotten.

I was just so tickled by the irony of her giving her sis a solemn lecture while still insisting on sleeping with us.

To be fair, she did make an attempt to move to the mattress on the floor - "Ah! How nice! So much room!" - but it didn't last long and soon it was four-in-the-bed again.

A 3 yo's Faith

I had to hop on and post this because I just heard J reading a book and talking to herself: "When I am afraid I will trust in you."

It's a verse from a Steve Green Scripture Memory song and one that J has taken to heart really well.

When she gets nervous at night, she is upfront about it. "I'm afraid of the dark Mum", I remind her of the verse and she declares it aloud: "When I am afraid I will trust in you."

"Who is you?" I asked one time.

"God - when I am afraid I will trust in God."

I was so amazed and touched. A 3 yo who feels the tug of God on her heart and can respond in her own words...wow!

Last night as we settled down to sleep, she again mentioned her fear of the dark and we went through the exercise of reciting her favorite verse. Then Beth said she couldn't sleep because of nightmares she's had the past couple of nights.

So we prayed for God to give His peace and protection to the children and for His angels to stand guard at our bedside.

One verse flowed into another, and suddenly J was saying: "Jesus is the Son of God. He died on the cross for me and for you and for jie jie and for Daddy."

Hallelujah!!

Getting Our Learning Act Together

Beth has just been offered a 30-minute slot with her current Yamaha keyboard teacher to start on the AMEB pathway. We had worked out that if she is to attain at least a Grade 5 before Year 6 (the year scholarship applications are submitted), she must start the AMEB now.

We're very excited because the arrangement is perfect: it's straight after her Sat group lesson so we don't have to make a separate trip on a weekday for lessons.

Yesterday was her first lesson with the Yamaha Junior Extension Course. It's so different from what the routine has been like for the past two years. For one, the emphasis is on self-learning, so parents are no longer required to sit next to their children during the lesson. The kids are expected to follow instructions independently; the parents sit at the back of the class and observe. What a relief.

The material is also significantly different. This year's focus is on Solfege singing and reading and Ensemble playing, with a lot more music theory homework (no more childish coloring in!).

Am having to work with Beth to overcome her biggest weakness: expecting Mummy to read the score for her when she should be attempting to sightread!

Yesterday was also the first Chinese class at the new venue: Point Cook Community Learning Centre. The location is splendid for parents who want to go shopping for groceries across the road: Coles, ALDI and Glory Asian Groceries are all within walking distance. And for display home tragics like me, all the new estates like Waterhaven, Innisfail, Alamanda, Featherbrook and Karinya are within 5 minutes' drive.

We spent an hour grocery shopping and the rest of the time on Old Geelong Road looking for a bunk bed for the girls. Have finally found one that both CA and I like, and that we think Beth will love. The colour scheme is white and lilac, perfect for her newly painted bedroom. At $867 for the frame and $219 per mattress, it's going to blow a hole in our budget, but this is just one of those things you can't avoid. If having her very own bunk bed encourages Beth to sleep in her room, I'll consider it more than worthwhile. I'm getting tired of being squashed between two bodies every night, especially when Jordanne keeps kicking me in the face or stomach.

The Best Feeling

The parents' retreat in display homes is usually something lavish and self-indulgent and - very important - located far away from the kids' rooms.

In our house, the parents' retreat is where everyone sleeps. Despite our best efforts to entice Beth with visions of bunk bed with ladder and endless laughter-filled night times with her sister, she is not ready to move out of our bed.

Our queen-sized bed feels tiny when there are four bodies crowding in it every night. The parents invariably get pushed to the outer edges, resulting in sore necks next morning. Such is the strong will of the girls, even in slumber. Why didn't we foresee this and buy the biggest bed possible? How I miss our king-sized bed in Hougang.

Space constraints aside, there is something utterly cosy about being squashed up at night with two giggly girls.

J likes to sleep on her side facing me, with her arms around my neck. I love the surprise kisses and cuddles, watching her tuck her legs in under the blankie or hug her bear or sing a song.

Baa baa sheep-py
Hair air wool
Yes sir yes sir
Hee bags full

How she has grown!

Many nights as I lie in bed with hubby and the girls next to me, I think how blessed am I to be surrounded by those I love. I know there will come a day when the kids move out and a day when I have to sleep alone, but for now, I will savour every moment of the joy of being together.