Is it Worth It?

This summer, it seems like at least once or twice a week we have been doing some fun thing or other than involves involves us staying up past our kids' regular 8:30 bedtime. Since the sun doesn't even go down until 9 or later, it seems pretty much unavoidable. And all of these things seem like essential, summertime things...camping, fireworks, barbeque's, etc.

You would think that when the kids stay up late, they would zonk right out when their heads hit the pillow, sleep like cute little logs all night and then sleep an hour or two extra the next morning. You, my friend, would be WrOnG. For some reason, the two little ones don't sleep very well at all when they go to bed late, and no matter what time we put Dax to bed, he is up by 7 a.m. Every. Single. Day.

So....whenever one of these fun late-evening activities comes around, I pay for it because the kids are a little grumpy the next day. Or two. Or three. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth all of the pain that I know is coming when they stay up late. But every time I see how much fun they are having doing these essential summertime things, the answer somehow always ends up being YES! Here are some of our late-night activities from this last week:

Last Sunday we went to some fireworks with some of Preston's family. The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins while they waited (and waited) for the show to start. Here are the kids, (finally) sitting quietly and enjoying the fireworks...well, except for Daxton, who is still in tackle-mode, and Kaden, who was his tackle-victim of choice that night:

I was trying to get a picture or two of the fireworks, but they don't work out too great because I can't hold still enough:

But then Arden caught me and took the camera away. She took about a hundred pictures, and i decided maybe the fireworks pictures are more interesting if you DON'T hold still:

This one makes me dizzy:

Cora was playing with her uncle Thomas at the fireworks. At one point he had to run to the car for something. While he was gone, Cora turned to me and said, "Where is hippo-tot-mus?" What? I made her repeat it a couple of times, but I had no idea what hippopotamus she was talking about. Finally, she said it more like "Where is hippo-thomas?" Aha! Hippo-Thomas! He will be right back. I have no idea where she gets this stuff.

Last night we took the kids to the rodeo. They loved it. I forgot how mean those cowboys are to the cows (wrestling them to the ground by their heads, clotheslining them with lassos, etc.), but the kids didn't seem to be too bothered by it...although I did get them cheering for the cows instead of the cowboys. We were among the few in the audience that cheered when the little cow made it across the arena without getting roped. "YAY COW!" we would yell. Arden was fascinated by the cowGIRLs, especially, and now feels very persecuted by the lack of horses in our yard. She talked all day today about how there is plenty of room for a horse or two in our backyard. She helpfully pointed out that a horse would keep the grass short and promised that she would take it for a ride every day so it could get its exercise. I have to smile because I am pretty sure I used all of these arguments on my own mother when I was a little girl.

Dax and Cora had a great time at the rodeo too, and Cora made me laugh by yelling "I RIDE A COW! I RIDE A COW!" at the top of her lungs during a pause in the action. Dax said his favorite part of the rodeo was when "The cow was spinning." I am guessing that he meant when the bulls would spin around to try and buck off the bull riders.

Great fun was had by all, but I got out of bed no less than five times last night to comfort Dax or Cora. Dax got me out of bed at least two different times crying because his blanket had come off of his feet. Seriously?!? (It is kind of funny now, but last night at 4 a.m. I wasn't very amused.) We had a pretty grouchy morning this morning too, and the kids were more than ready for bed tonight by the time bedtime rolled around. I was glad to get them to bed on time tonight, and I gotta admit it has been a long day.

Hopefully they get all the sleep they can tonight, because tomorrow is gonna be another late night. But it will be worth it!