There's not enough coffee in the world...

Most days, I like to get up early and conquer the day! I'm usually in bed by 9 p.m. so getting up at 4 or 5 a.m. isn't a big deal.

Yesterday, I was a single-parent for the night because Ron was at a golf party/tournament. I was prepared! Movies, pizza (wine for me once the kids went to bed!) and popcorn! It was going to be a great night.

Except Lola, the spunky mini-me Scorpio who I adore and love, decided bed time was 10 p.m. Usually I can get the kidlets to bed by 7 p.m., no fuss. My fabulous five-year-old Oscar was good as gold! Watched the movie, ate the pizza, had a story and went to bed.

Lola "slept" with me. I don't sleep well when Ron is away - and he is RARELY away - so I thought cuddling with the little monkey would be a pleasant substitute. And it was - at first. She slept like a log until 2 a.m. So that's four hours, right? She should've gone right back to sleep, right? NO!

Aside from inheriting my stubborn, Scorpio personality and cute smile, the little rugrat also inherited my sleep schedule! She stayed up until after 6 a.m., waking Oz up in the process. He crawled into bed with us at 4 a.m. but we both got tired of being kicked and shoved so I took her back to her crib. She YELLED. Not cried, SCREAMED. Screamed like she was having her favourite pair of shoes taken away! Screamed like I told her she couldn't date until she was married! Screamed until I finally went to get her.

This back-and-forth crib-to-bed thing went on until 5:30 a.m. At this point, I gave up. I yelled at her and told her the next time "I have to come in this room, I am taking ELMO!"

I'm a bad mommy. I threatened her with the thing she loves most in this world. But, dammit, it worked! I didn't go back in there.

OK, it didn't really work, I literally pulled the covers over my head and listened to her scream some more. I think if she could talk her screaming would have been, "Oh NO YOU DIDN'T!"

She is my daughter. I asked for her before I got pregnant - a little girl with dark hair and green eyes, born in November, a true Scorpio like me. She is all of that. And right now, there isn't enough coffee or Prozac in the WORLD to deal with it!

Cheers,
Tamara