Ahhh...Hugs

The past two nights I have had trouble getting Dotty to "go to sleep". She wants to play, eat, sing, laugh, get every stuffed animal she owns on the bed, cry, go to the bathroom (again), etc.

Both nights I finally had to get mean and tell her she was about to have to go to sleep alone in her bed (usually I lay with her until she falls asleep and then I get up and go to my bed). Telling Dotty she is going to have to go "night-night" alone is almost as bad as telling her Memaw is leaving...crying always follows.

So both nights I had to threaten to leave her alone due to the fact that she was tired and had school the next day...I was tired and had work the next day...and...well...I am a mom so that is what we do...we pull out the big guns when we have to.

After crying and telling me, "I don't care" (her new favorite phrase), then crying and asking me to stay, Dotty grabbed a blanket and took a last sip from her new sippy cup and then cuddled up beside me. Both nights as she drifted off to sleep she would fling her right arm over my neck and hug me then leave it there until she feel asleep and I got up to go to my bed.

Both nights when that arm was squeezing my neck all my frustration, exhaustion, and pleadings with God to make my child go to sleep went away and I simply said a little prayer of thanks for my little girl and the hugs that she gives me.