Ugh, what a night.....

It's nights like tonight, that have me seriously questioning my sanity on wanting another child. Although, it's not Evan that's causing me grief. At some point, over the summer I think, Sydney started ignoring the rules of bedtime. She has gotten increasingly worse about getting back up after I've put her to bed. I went through the whole bedtime routine, and even added a few of the things she has come up with as excuses to get up. We went into her room and I explained that if she got back up, I was going to put the "baby bed" (pack and play) in her room and she would have to sleep in it. Then I read her a story, tucked her in, turned out the light and shut her door. She clearly didn't believe me. No sooner had I walked out of her room and into Evan's, her door opened and out she came. "Mommy, I can't find my flash light." I told her it was on her night stand and she needed to stay in bed. I didn't even go in her room, I just shut the door. 5 minutes later she comes trotting into the kitchen to throw something away. I didn't even acknowledge her. She actually went back to her room and shut her door. I thought, well good she didn't get a reaction so she will go to sleep now. Humph! I got Evan up and in the bath then here she comes again. She came in, hugged my leg, then left. I said nothing, didn't even look at her. By this point, I'm trying really hard not to scream in frustration. I get Evan finished with his bath and I'm headed back to his room, then there she is yet again. "Mommy, I love you." It's so hard not to melt when she does that, especially with that breath taking little face she has and her sweet little voice she uses when she wants something. I held strong though. Again I said nothing, just carried Evan towards his room and closed her door without a word. I got Evan all lotioned up and dressed in his jammies, then went to get his bottle. Her door was open and she wasn't in her room. Clearly, she had gone into our room. Eric, being the heavy sleeper he is, has no idea that she is hiding at the foot of our bed watching whatever he fell asleep to, Austin Powers I think. He is completely useless to me after he falls asleep anyway. He is well known for agreeing to anything in his "sleep walk" stage. He frequently does and says things during this stage that he has no recollection of doing. It's both amusing and annoying. Anyway, I had to make good on my threat so I went and got the baby bed and put it in her room next to her toddler bed. I put her blanket, pillow and baby in it then went to retrieve her. She immediately started screaming the instant she walked in her room. I just picked her up, put her in the play pen, told her she needed to start listening to mommy, and walked out closing the door behind me. Poor Evan has now been screaming for a good 5-8 minutes waiting on me to bring him his bottle. So I get him fed, burped, and rocked back to sleep which takes a good 45 minutes since he has to be kept upright for 30 minutes after meals due to his reflux and colic issues. Sydney was full blown screaming for a good 30-35 minutes of this. By the time I lay Evan down and go to walk out of his room, I hear Sydney calling my name. It's not the bawling, pleading she had been doing, but more of a request. I open her door and she asks if she could please blow her nose. I grab some tissue and help her blow her nose then leave again without a word. I head into the kitchen to throw the laundry in the dryer, grab some water and switch off all the lights. I'm about to flick off the last light when she materializes right in front of me. I'm sure the utter astonishment was all over my face, after all I had left her in the play pen. Well, she misreads my reaction and before I even say a word she starts crying. The look on my face must have scared her. She manages to squeak out that she needed to go potty. I snap at her to hurry and go. She finishes up quickly and heads back to her room. At this point, the play pen is obviously useless, so I follow her in her room to get her blanket, pillow and baby out of the play pen. Well, it gets even worse. Not only had she climbed out that one time, but at LEAST once more because there were a whole bunch of toys in there that I didn't put in and she couldn't have reached. I then chew her out for climbing out of the play pen and did she know how dangerous that was to climb in and out of and how bad she could have gotten hurt..... She just looks up at me and says "I like that bed Mommy. Can you leave it in here? It's just like the one I use at Ma-Ga's house." All I could do was throw the covers over her and turn around and walk out. I feel completely defeated by a 3 year old.......