sleep routines and fireworks

When Noah was little, I was pretty rigid with his schedule. This was for all our benefit. At about 2 months he started fighting naps and sleep and we were spending hours trying to get him to sleep. When he wouldn't nap, he'd be cranky and miserable (which would make ME miserable). So we did sleep training and then we stuck to the sleep schedule as if our lives depended on it (because, at the time, it seemed like they did). He always went to bed on time (if we could help it) and I rarely kept him up late.

When we went to Africa (Noah was 6 months old) I still managed to keep to his schedule, but started to loosen up a bit. And then when we went to Ireland (on our way home from Africa - Noah was 7.5 months) the schedule went out the window. We had 4 days to see and do all we wanted to so Noah went to bed later and napped on the go. Those 4 days taught me so much and proved that all our hard work was not in vain as Noah was now a much better sleeper, and easily fell back into a good sleep routine when we got home. He adjusted amazingly to time differences and traveled fantastically.

All that to say, we have come a long way in the whole sleep routine department. I know the value in having a routine, but I'm not as strict and from time to time, we'll keep the boys up for something worthwhile (but I still highly value our routine as I know it's best for the boys and ME who has to deal with the consequences of grumpy, sleepy boys the next day, sometimes even 2 days later!).

June 30th we were invited to watch fireworks with some friends from church who live in our neighbourhood. They weren't supposed to happen until dusk so I actually put the boys to bed at their normal times and then woke them up just after 9pm (although that was a hard task as they were both out cold!). Jude woke up and was peppy and perky as if he had napped a full 8 hr sleep. Noah was quiet and a bit dopey.

We got to the park where the fireworks were going to happen and it was so much fun! Free chips and juice and tons of kids running around. It was some kind of bizarro world where kids play in the park at nighttime!

Neither of the boys had experienced fireworks before and so we waited to see what their reactions would be.

The first firework went off.

Bang! Pop!

They both started crying.

I knew they would.

Jude started to calm down a bit, but Noah's cries were fearful and slightly screamy. So Jamie took Noah into the house and watched from there while Jude and I sat with our friends. It was adorable to watch Jude's squinty eyes taking it all in. When the flashing lights and loud pops got too much for him, he'd look away. And then he'd look back.

Noah still talks about the fireworks and says that he didn't like them because they were "too loud". Poor fella. But he sure had fun afterward as he played with his friend William at William's house.

It was fun and I'm glad we did it!