A standing evening playdate

Every evening after Isaac's dinner he and I venture outside for playtime. This time lasts as long as humanly possible, usually from when he finishes with dinner (5:30 or 6) till nearly 8. This time outside has a two-fold purpose: socialization with Isaac's girlfriend Claudia:



...and wearing his precious little butt out, which we have come to realize is the secret to getting him to sleep. Here he is after pushing Claudia's car up a hill and doing a lap around a playground -- and he isn't even close to done:



So, after nearly 14 months of quiet (well, occasionally not so quiet) suffering, of begging, pleading, and admittedly screaming at him (and of course, him screaming at us), the magical Isaac Sleep Recipe has been revealed. It is really quite simple. All this time, our little rambunctious boy has simply had too much pent-up energy to spend an entire night listless and sleeping. Now that he can walk, and almost run, and daily goes strolling along sidewalks, climbing up hills, chasing Claudia, cat-brother, Dada, and me, now that his copious buddha-belly and thigh-rolls are beginning to melt away, NOW he sleeps through the night. Let me share with you the joy that has been this past week:

Wednesday night -- down at 8:30, up at 3, down again until 7:30.
Thursdday night -- down at 8:30, up at 4, down again until 7:30.
Friday night -- down at 8:30, up at 5, down again until 7:30.
Saturday night (a relapse of sorts) -- down at 8:30, up at 4, down again until 7:30.
Sunday night -- down at 8:30, up at 6(!!!!), down again until 7:30.

Tell me you aren't seeing a pattern here.