Thursday Night Lights: aka The Kiana Chronicles

There's that television show, Friday Night Lights about the events of high school football. In the Pippin Home it could be titled Thursday Night Lights about the events of Kiana's crankiness on that weekday. Not that I want her to be stamped and labeled c.r.a.n.k.y...it's just that by Thursday I think this little Energizer bunny has ran, smiled, laughed, teased, talked, colored, and written through 2 twigs for the week that she's, well, cranky and ready for a re-charge. Stuart noted that awhile back, and sure enough, Thursday nights are ones I prepare for in the Patience category. It's actually kind of funny.

5:30 pm
Sitting at the table, hands covering her face, "Awe, mom! How come ETHAN gets to go to Falcon Ridge and I don't? Awe, that's not fair. When can I go to a new school? Boooo hooo." Arms folded, head in hands.

Bedtime prep:
I asked her to pick up 3-4 items in her room while I helped. "You ALWAYS make us do CHORES! No one loves me in this house!" "Yes we do. We tell you all the time." "Yeah, but I still don't like to do CHORES!"

Bedtime:
- Her slow whine could win an Oscar for sure. "Waaaah. At schooooool you're not supposed to look at anyone's paper. That's the rule. But there's this girl that sits by me and she ALWAYS looks at MY paper." "Hmmm. How do you feel when she looks at you paper?" "I DON'T LIKE IT!" "Well, maybe you could ask your teacher to talk to her in private. Then tell her that you know the rule about looking at other's papers. Tell her _____ looks at yours and you don't like it. Then say 'is there something we can do about this?'" "AWE! But what if I FORGET WHAT TO SAY?" "How about if mom writes it on a paper for you?" "But what if you forget?" "I won't" I didn't, I wrote it for her the next morning.
- "Awe, Maiya always copies me. I don't like it when people copy me. I wish I had another brother, then he would copy ETHAN!" "What if you had another little brother?" "That would make me happy because then no one would copy ME!" Poor little Maiya, just laying there between us sucking on her 'dee-dee'; she adores Kiana.
- "Mom, you can't put tuna fish sandwiches in my LUNCH because it makes the bread SOGGY. I told you that before, but you don't listen to me."
- "I miss Jesse! Aaaaaahhhhhh!"
- "How come you ALWAYS lay by Maiya and not ME?" Ok, so the hand stroking her hair wasn't enough. I moved Maiya over and cuddled up right by Princess Kiana, pulling her close. "Is this better." Head nodded.
- "Eeewwwweee. Whenever I cry, I can't breath in my NOSE! I try to put it back like this, but then the boogers just stay there and I can't breath. I wish I didn't cry." It's actually comical when she yawns, cries, and talks at the same time - that's so bad to say.
- "I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GO TO SLEEP! I just lay there and I CAN'T GO TO SLEEP!"
- Sniffle. Sniffle. "I don't like having a rough night. Aaaaawwwweeee!"

Ethan's only nightly I-can't-get-to-bed excuse,"Mom, my mind can't stop thinking about things. I just keep thinking and thinking and I can't fall asleep." His arm expressions could win him an Emmy too. 5 minutes after being returned to bed, he's out.

"Maaaiya, go to bed." She usually giggles because she knows where she's supposed to be. She'll then reach her arms up & we'll take her back to bed. Stuart can lay her in her crib no problem, but with me she pretend-cries so I'll lay down with her until she's out. One problem: I hit dreamland then too.

Stuart said the other morning a commercial came on for a doll, Maiya pointed and said, "I want that!" He couldn't believe what he heard. They start way too early.