Sugar and sleep

This is what the kids had for dinner on Friday, to celebrate Jack's near-perfect report card. It looks yummy, especially to someone who has eliminated sugar and processed food from her diet. But, I'm not above putting this garbage into my kids' bodies, as you can clearly see. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the positive reward system worked. Yesterday, Jack came home, took out his homework, and said, "woops". He had forgotten to turn in his test in Algebra. It was an open book test, which is hilarious, because when the teacher emailed him back, he told Jack he could retake it after school. The hilarious part is that I am looking at the book right now, sitting right where Jack left it before going to school. It's next to his lunch. Sigh.

Olivia has been having a very had time going to sleep lately. I consider myself somewhat of a sleep Nazi when it comes to the kids. By that, I mean they go to bed at the same time every night after books, and that is the last time I see or hear from them until morning, unless vomiting is involved, or the occasional nightmare. But even then, after I console them or attend to their needs, I hustle them back to their own beds. So, this thing with Olivia has me pretty stressed out. She cries and carries on (stomachache! too scared! Grace is snoring! I can hear Seamus scratching downstairs!) until about 10 or 11. Her bedtime is 7:30. This morning we had a long talk, and she said she was scared to be separated from us. This is a valid concern, since I've been with her nearly every waking moment that she has been alive, apart from school. We talked about ways she can cope at night, and we're going to try yoga before bed. About this point, I'm feeling pretty cocky, like a good mom, because she was all excited to try these new tricks.

She asked if she could get some gloves out of the closet under the stairs, and then I told the kids to get into the car for school. I had to go shut the gate on the chicken coop and noticed that Olivia had left the closet door open. I shut it and went out to the coop, and around to the front of the house. Henry and Grace were at the car, but no Olivia. That's when I heard her wails from inside the house. I had shut her in the closet and she thought we'd left without her! Yep, I pretty much solved those abandonment fears today.