Jack and the Fear of Bedtime

We lucked out with Ben - he was a good sleeper and when it came time to move from a crib to his big-boy bed, he answered the call by refusing to get out of it until we came to get him.  He did this for more than a year and even after he would get out on his own he never abused that right.  He now sleeps in, compared to the daily 5:30 to 6:00 wake-up call of his brother. 

Ben is not exactly excited to go to bed but stays there nonetheless.



Jack is obviously mapping out some grand escape from bed - which includes a train and a dump truck.

 Jack, on the other hand, has not taken kindly to his new freedom and spends sometimes hours getting out of bed, coming downstairs, running back up the stairs and generally making bedtime a low-grade nightmare every night.  We decided to gate him in and he threw the tantrum of all tantrums, yelling, (we think) cursing, and finally throwing himself up against the gate like the Velociraptors of Jurassic Park.  And then he discoved that no matter how high we set the gate, he could climb over it.  What he refers to as his "fence" is nothing more than a small roadblock for him to overcome on each grand adventure.  Last night, I actually witnessed him clear his fence like a deer clears a roadside barricade.  He was so mad last night that he decided to strip down to his diaper and threw his pajamas into the hall as a protest of our detestable behavior.  What I wouldn't give to get into bed and stay there for at least a week.  Boys.