Trip the light fantastic

You know, I never realised just how many hippos appear in children's books until Botany became completely hippopotamus obsessed. She has a small stuffed hippo which we took along to the zoo one day last week. When she clapped eyes on the live pygmy hippo, you could practically see the synapses firing off in all directions in her brain as she made the connection between the two. There was a lot of pointing to the pygmy hippo and back to the stuffed toy, shouting "HIPPO HIPPO". She then refused to be moved from the hippo enclosure for, oh, approximately nine hours, even when the keeper came out and started cleaning the wallow pit which entailed the spraying of a great deal of water in our general direction, not to mention some unspeakable goo. Upon our return home there was a sudden intense interest in any books or pictures referencing hippos...and I say, there are surprisingly many in our collection.   

Anyway, having just finished moaning about Botany's ongoing sleep issues, she has flummoxed me this past week by waking up at 6.15 am three days running. Then this morning, the alarm actually got me up at 6.30, enabling me to get dressed and start my slapdash wash-and- makeup routine before she stirred. It was fabulous. Delighted as I am, I predict it won't last. I have this vague theory that it has something to do with my pushing the one nap a day regimen, a pattern which was today resoundingly broken by the nursery staff when despite my request, they let her sleep for nearly two hours, starting at 9am, followed by a shorter afternoon snooze. Argh.

Should the early waking hell resume, I am resolved that I will try the light-on-a-timer method. However, I've decided to wait until the end of March for several reasons.

Firstly, on Monday, Botany, Knox and I are boarding a plane to travel to Florida to visit my parents for a couple of weeks. I haven't mentioned this, have I?  No, I thought probably not. I'm very much looking forward to going. I haven't had anything resembling a vacation in a year. That might not normally be that big a deal, but it feels like it when the year in question was for the most part a complete ass kicker. I'm keenly anticipating some sun, the surf between my toes, building a sandcastle with Botany and a couple of nights of grown-up time away with Knox. 

Getting there, though. Ugh. The last time  we traveled to the States, Botany was an absolute angel, but she was a lot younger, more portable and far more easily entertained by, say, a packet of unopened peanuts in a foil wrapper. I've purchased her a seat of her own this time, as the thought of trying to contain her wiggly little body on our laps for the duration was essentially unthinkable, so there ought to be at least a bit of room for us to spread out some toys and books. I'm resigned to a lot of walking up and down the aisle if it comes to that; bearing in mind that the airline on which we are traveling on is notorious for turning on the dreaded "fasten seatbelt sign" and confining you to your veal crate for the duration.  

Anyway, her sleep is bound to be totally screwed up once we get there, and by the time we get over the jet lag, we will be due to come home. We don't start Daylight Savings Time here until the end of the month (in fact, three days after we get back). So the time differential will initially be less of a sharp shock, but a long adjustment over the whole piece, if you see what I mean. Basically, I predict it will suck serious ass for a bit and frankly I reckon there is no point screwing around with blue lights and timers until we are back on the beginnings of an even keel.     

Hippo hippo hippo.

Comments

[Carla Hinkle]

We have always used overseas-style jet lag to our advantage when traveling with little ones ... get them on any sleep schedule that is convenient for you since it is so screwed up anyway. I favor a later bed time than normal, accompanied by a later wake up time, letting everyone sleep in!

[Carrie]

I live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and the weather is supposed to be SUPER NICE! Mid 70's to low 80's! I hope that you have a great time on your visit!

[Cibele]

"synapses firing off " hummm, only a science nerd would say something like that, am I wrong? Have fun in Florida!

[thalia]

Ha. We are going to florida on Saturday. I have similar anxieties although I was quite excited when i realised it woudl only be a 4 hour difference. I wish us all luck.

btw we don't have a lot of hippo books. We have lots of elephants, though..

[Heather]

Not a lot of hippos in our books. But holy crap do we have a lot monkeys! I swear it seems every book we read to K has to have a monkey in it, if it doesn't she asks where the monkey is...

Have a great time in Florida!

[Skye]

I haven't gone on intercontinental flights with my toddler, but I actually prefer plane travel to car travel at this age. At least there are some times when you CAN let them out.

[Country Chick]

Hippos are great, aren't they. If looking for more, try 'Hippo has a hat' - it's a lovely colourful book with daft pics of animals in various clothes.
Enjoy Florida - I do think you have earned a break!

[Laura]

I wonder why hippos became so omnipresent in kids' books/gears/toys? Lumbering smelly things with tusks that come out through their nostrils, which waddle in mud and chomp people. Yay! Pygmy ones must be very cute, though.

Have no sleep assvice to offer, but am eager to read the results of light-on-a-timer when you begin it with Botany. And I wish you glorious sun and surf in Florida. (You still haven't told us how you wound up in Scotland. Surely you don't have more important things to do than provide backstory for us lot?)

[anna]

have a wonderful time, my dear! you deserve a loooong vacation in the sun.

[Hairy Farmer Family]

I think hippos kill more people every year than all the big cats put together, or something like that. They have (pulls face) GWATE BIG TEEF WIKE DIS! Yet in the books, they magicaly morph into cuddlesome items.