small successes
 

My D's who are 5 and 3 fight bedtime most nights like, well, kids who are 5 and 3. When AH and I are here together it is 100000X worse.

He hasn't been around at bed time for a few nights p my request. D3 has gone to bed waaaaay more willingly than usual on those nights.

Tonight the girls asked if they could have a sleepover in D5's room. It has been a LONG time since they've wanted to spend time cuddling together. They both are desperate for attention a lot of the time, clingy and acting younger than they are and tend to fight with each other when one is getting my attention and the other wants it. All stuff their T said isn't abnormal when there is shake up in the family structure.

Anyway, they went up to D5's room and for the past hour or so I've heard them giggling, D5 reading to D3, playing, laughing and well, sounding like kids. And I just sat here listening to them, thinking about how it's been a LONG time since I've heard them sound like kids at night (or during the day for that matter) and burst into tears.

I feel really happy that my kids went to bed happy and not stressed out and enjoyed one another's and my company tonight. D5 told me when I was putting them to bed that I was the best mommy she ever had... cute huh? I kept her home from school today (it's vacation camp week and she wanted to stay with me) and we had a nice chill day together (and she took a 3 hr nap so that helped her mood too!)

I just went and checked on them before posting this and D3 is almost spooning with D5. Doesn't get much cuter than that.

It will be a long time if ever before I forgive myself for keeping my kids in a toxic environment for as long as I did, but moments like this give me hope that I haven't totally destroyed my kids and that hopefully I am at least one peg above Joan Crawford! (I'm exagerrating- I hope!)

Good night all...

:hug:

That sounds so adorable.
I am glad that all of you are having a great night. <3

Wonderful.
And so much in your posts ring a bell with me. Including the blaming yourself for not leaving sooner. But you know what? You left. And that's a good thing.

Got to love that! Nothing better!

Yay! Kids and pets feel things we tend to push down and try to not go crazy over. I consider this to be a huge success for today for you! ;)

Calm successful fun bedtimes with kids that age, especially in stressful times like this, are anything but small successes! Well done, Mommy :-)

I am so glad that your daughters are enjoying each other and even more happy that it has put a smile on your face

Update: the girls were so cute together, slept well, crawled into bed with me this morning, watched the "princess show" (what D5 called the royal wedding that SHE was waaaay more interested in than me). D5 wanted to make breakfast for D3 and I and the cuteness and getting along-ness continued... SO nice!

My children's ability to relax has been the very best part of being divorced. Glad they had such a happy night.:a122: