The Great Backslide of Aught-Ten

Children are a delicate contraption, with many parts and no warranty. Once placed into gentle equilibrium, the utmost care must be used to ensure that nothing disrupts the subtle harmonies of their lives.

Now, if only they never changed, and were never placed in any situations at all...

There is a new foster at Brad's house. His name is Dante, he arrived on Monday, and the excitement of his arrival apparently pushed all knowledge of how to go to sleep out of Sam's head. Monday night had him waking up three times in four hours (cleverly, the same four hours that Joey actually slept through). Last night, Sam decided that he didn't want to go to bed, and refused to stay in bed once we'd closed the door. For THREE HOURS. There was screaming. There was crying. There were threats, and arguing, and cajoling, and ignoring. (Some of this was even done by us.) He finally went down after I laid down in the hall with his door open so he could see me.

Tonight, I just laid down in the hall, and slunk away as Sam went quiet. I'm not proud, but it's better than the alternative.

Here's hoping he remembers soon, because this sucks.