The Bitching Hour

Hola, my Lovelies. Today, I'd like to take you to a special time. One that I know all too well. The time when the world has slowed down to a snails pace. The sky is dark, all is quiet and peaceful. Except in my house. This is a time I like to call "The Bitching Hour."

After a full day of eating, changing diapers, playing endless games of peek-a-boo and many a meltdown had and dealt with. It's 11pm; the house is quiet, the Prince and the Princess are asleep. Finally, you think to yourself, I can get some rest too. So you set to your nightly routine get yourself snuggled up, close your eyes and drift away to the dreamland with the idea of waking up first thing bright and early, birds chirping and the sun is shining.

*Thud, thud, thud* It's a familiar sound, but since it ceases quickly, I'm not quite roused from my sleep. *Thud, thud, thud* My eyes fly open. I heard it that time, I know it! Shift my eyes to my clock. 2 am. Great. My poor downstairs neighbors didn't see us coming when we moved in. The crying starts, which is accompanied by the same *thud, thud, thud*. That sound is the Princess' heels being pounded into the floor like it was her worst enemy. As if to say, "If I am awake, then everyone will be awake too!"

I set about my tasks of figuring out exactly what it is that is bothering the Princess. Diaper-- check. Light on-- check. *Thud, thud, thud* Light off-- check. That didn't work. Is it time to eat? Usually, at this time of night, if she is hungry for a late night snack, it's going to be a fight. The way she thrashes and screams in her high chair-- yes high chair, at 3 years old. She's a creature of habit, after all.-- you'd think I was feeding her something so foul that it might as well be liver and onions-- Or whatever you despise as a food-- even though it's the same baby food she's eaten every day of her life since she started solids.

That seems to settle things a little. Check the time, it's 3 am. We settle on a movie and attempt to get things settled. This, of course works only for a short while, as soon I hear: *Thud, thud, thud*. Crap. 'My poor neighbors' I think. 'I really need to bake them something delicious, or better yet, buy them a vacation away for a while.' If only I could afford that, I'd be taking it! I digress. Now it's time to get the Princess a fresh cup of milk. In the only cup she'll drink from. First, I have to find it.

We settle on a different movie, because suddenly, this one is not keeping her happy. When she starts to cry again, I'm at a loss. What can it possibly be, besides sleep? And how is it possible for the Prince and the King to snore peacefully through all of this? I change the diaper, set up her 'nest' in the middle of the floor-- Sometimes she doesn't want to sleep in her bed, so we get her as comfy with lots of blankets and pillows. It angers her less to have the choice to sleep on her bed or on the floor. Turn off the light, again. Really I feel like we should have a timed strobe light in there so that it can turn on and off at her pace.

Finally, it's quiet again. I've tamed the beast. The Princess is asleep peacefully again. Look at the time, 5 am. Only three hours this time. I've seen her stay up until noon before. This isn't bad. I'm awake, but decide to lay on the couch for maybe a couple of minutes of shut eye. As I close my eyes, and start to drift peacefully to a doze, I hear another familiar sound. The Prince is crying. He's up. Look at the clock: 5:30am. Whelp. I guess my day has just begun.