“Help! Help” cried the page when the sun came up. “King Bidgood’s in the bathtub, and he won’t get out! Oh, who knows what to do?”

Bedtime at our home is always entertaining.
There is always one more thing Bridget needs before we leave the room. One more story. A different blanket. Another kiss. One more hug.

And, there’s usually one (or two, or three) things she finds that she needs AFTER we close the door and leave.

Now that she can turn the doorknob and exit her bedroom by herself bedtime has become an interesting challenge. Sometimes it feels like an hour-long struggle. Sometimes it really is. We try to find some balance between giving in and threating to spank her bum over and over again. Tonight she kept saying she was scared. Finally we suggested that she could be allowed to sleep with her door open, if she stayed in bed. To my utter shock and amazement it actually worked! Somehow, though, I don’t anticipate it working that well every night. Alas! Alack! Alack! Alas!
Despite this typical toddler behavior there are a couple of things about bedtime that are just. . . Cute!

1. Her favorite bedtime story is King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub (by Don and Audrey Wood). Dave and I both have it memorized, we’ll told it so much. And she almost does. Her version is a bit more scattered. Something like this:
   
   “Help. Help. Cried Page. Sun came up. King Bidgood’s in bathtub. Won’t get out. Who knows what to do? Who knows what to do?”
   “I do. Get out. Time battle. Today battle in the tub” I caught her tucking Daddy in for a nap today (in her bed) while telling him that story. It wasn’t long before she had closed the door and was coming down the stairs to announce that Daddy was taking a nap. Much to her dismay (and probably his) I sent her right back up to “wake him up” for dinner.
2. Bridget and Dave do this thing every night before bed. Bridget calls it “1-2-3-4-5.” Basically it consists of Dave bench pressing Bridget while she sits on his hands and holds on for dear life. For her it is a fun ride and an opportunity to practice counting to 50 (with daddy’s help, of course). For him, it is exercise.This evening, while they were playing this little game. Dave got to 50 and, as is typical, he stopped. Apparently Bridget wasn’t finished yet though because she quickly chimed in with “51.” After which Dave was naturally obligated to continue. I think she is catching on. I wonder what will happen when she learns to count to 100??