Paybacks really ARE a bitch.

So, Carson has always been an awesome sleeper. Pretty much from the get go, he loved to sleep. This was good, as his Mommy and Daddy love to sleep, too. He's never been an early riser (before 8 is early for him), and he's pretty much always gone to bed fairly easily. He's always been an awesome napper, too.

I've always tried to be sympathetic to those with crappy sleepers. I mean, we went through the newborn phase, but past that, I don't have much experience. I tried not to brag. But? It's done me no good.

Carson has hit 3.5 and decided that sleep is no good. Along with not sleeping, comes an allergy to listening and a serious attitude. I could deal with being allergic to listening and having a whole lot of sass, but this not sleeping thing? No bueno. I don't function well with no sleep. I turn into Mommy Dearest. He wants to sleep with us, and frankly, if that would make him sleep, I'd be down. But our bed is like a giant trampoline to him. We try to sleep, he jumps. Or pulls our hair and pokes us in the ears or whatever he can do to entertain himself. And avoid sleeping. He begs and cries for us to cuddle him when we put him to bed. Fine by me, but again, our presence keeps him from sleeping.

So? It's turned into a big mountain of over-tired sucktastic-ness. If that's not in the dictionary, it totally should be. Tonight, I got him to bed by bribing him. I promised him I'd take him to the movies tomorrow (Thank you Aksarben Cinema, for the $1 movies) and that he could have popcorn. At first he said no, and he wanted me to cuddle him (which I agreed to, but no movie), but he must have re-thought things, because he went to bed on his own.

I think I've found my solution. Bribery. Isn't it the basis of parenthood? No? It's just me? I'm ok with that. He's been begging for a new Spiderman costume (his ripped) AND a Venom costume, so maybe we need to whip up a little chart. If he takes a nap every day until kindergarten, and goes to sleep every night when we tell him to, he can have the costumes. Seems fair to me.

Until then...

Oh, and P.S., I'll be the one asleep and snoring in the theater during Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked tomorrow. Don't wake me. I will cut you.