Chocolate: Lesson Learned. Again.

Last night, we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday.  As with any birthday party there was cake and ice cream. Ok, let me back up a little bit.  A few days ago, when Jeff and I took Carter over to CHKD for another test, Aiden spent the morning with his Nana.  The agenda for the morning was to make his Grandaddy's birthday cake.  Aiden had a blast making the funfetti cake and decorating it with sprinkles.  Can you tell which sprinkles Aiden added to the cake? So, all we heard about for the past couple days was eating the "birfday" cake. He was so excited. I'm not sure if  he was more excited that he had a part in the cake or that he was going to eat the cake.  I'm going to go with eating the cake.  He's two.

   

Ok, now we can resume.    After dinner and presents, it was finally time to put the candles on the cake and sing "Happy Birthday" to his Grandaddy.  Aiden, of course helped with all of it.  He even delievered the first piece to his Grandaddy.  Once he saw his piece, he decided it was time to stop the whole "helper boy" act and eat his cake.  And ice cream...chocolate ice cream. (That piece of information is crucial.)

He devored the cake and ice cream.  He even asked for more chocolate sauce (a.k.a. ice cream), but his request was not granted.  Enough is enough, especially when its 8 pm and past bedtime. Shortly after cake and ice cream we headed home.  It was already past bedtime, remember?

This is where the real fun began.  Jeff, promptly, put Aiden in bed.  Since, we were way past bedime at this point, it was in the house and straight to bed.  Per routine, he tucked him in, assembled his fort, sang, prayed, and kissed him goodnight.  Everything seemed to be going as planned.  Jeff and I watched survivor on dvr and after it was over we heard Aiden crying in his room.  (Note:  it is well after 11pm at this point.)  Our two year old is wide awake.  I tried to explain to him, that it is time to be quiet and close his eyes so he can go to sleep.  In his sweet voice Aiden replies, "I can no close my eyes."  Nice momma is wearing off and getting tired.  My voice becomes forceful and I explain to him once again what needs to happen and add that if I have to come back into his room he's in big trouble.  I would have to guess that he finally dozed somewhere close to midnight.  I read in bed while I waited on Aiden to go to sleep.  There's something about going to sleep while your toddler is wide awake in the next room.  There's no telling what he would get himself into.  Around midnight, I checked on him and he was asleep.  Hooray.  I could of lept for joy, but I was too tired.  I just sighed a big sigh and put my book away and turned off to sleep.  It was off to dreamland for me.   

The culprit.  Chocolate.  Yes, the chocolate ice cream.  I know chocolate keeps him up, but I guess I didn't put the two together last ngiht.  Or I chose not to.  It's a party, right?  Well, I learned my lesson. Sadly, this isn't the first time chocolate has kept him up.  It's not even the second time.  So, I've made a new rule.  No chocolate before bedtime.  Absolutely none.  No exceptions.