Dan is away on a business trip. We're sad. He has been the Primary Bedtime Parent for the past two weeks or so, since I have suddenly lost all skills in this department and can't get Julian to sleep for *anything* lately. He specifically asks for "Daddy rocking" now at bedtime, and discards me like a dirty shirt after I put his PJs on and kiss him goodnight.

Fine by me really, because now I get to do exciting things with my newfound free time in the evenings...like shower and squeeze blackheads from my nose. Hooray!

Well, last night I was making Caribbean Rice and Bean Stew to tide us over for meals while Dan is gone, and then I had to clean up the kitchen afterwards, so we didn't go to bed until late. Yes, actually going to bed with Julian is my only (sometimes) working method of getting him to sleep right now. I lay down, he lays down. We're not nursing to sleep anymore, so I sing him a song and sometimes he just drifts off. Other times it's not so easy.

Last night I sang three rounds of all four rousing choruses of "She'll be coming 'round the mountain", except I sing it like a medieval chant, veeeeerrrry slow and plodding. Don't ask me why I sing THAT song, it just came to mind, and for some reason I knew the words.

My other nighttime hits include "Kumbaya", Brahms' Lullaby ( to which I have completely made up words, because I don't know anything but the melody and "Lullaby and good night.." but I don't even sing those words. That IS Brahms' Lullaby, right? Maybe I don't even know the title.

What else do I know? Um, I tried singing "Penny Lane" once, because I know the lyrics to a lot of Beatles' songs. Too peppy, even when slowed way down.

If any of you have other lullaby suggestions, tell me about it, because I'm fresh out of ideas when I'm laying there exhausted in the dark, and a little voice is piping up next to me, "Mommy, sing."

So last night I did all the choruses several times, and then I was just too tired to continue, so I told Juji, "Mommy is very VERY tired and can't sing anymore. Time for sleeping. I love you very much Sweetest Boy.", gave him a big kiss, and plopped back on my pillow.

He laid there for a minute, then I felt his presence and opened my eyes to find his little face hovering over mine in the dark.

"Bye-bye Mommy." He planted a wet kiss on me and laid back down on his pillow. Cute, right?

A minute later, same thing. Still cute.

Twenty times later, NOT CUTE ANYMORE. OK, still cute, but you know what I mean. Get some sleep already, for cryin' out loud!

So I completely ignored him. I tried to make it like kissing a dead piece of wood or something. Silent, unmoving. After a few minutes of Most Boring Mommy in the World, he finally went to sleep.

Or I did, I'm not sure.