Last night, my husband and I stayed up too late watching television.

We never stay up late. Our bedtime has routinely become 9 pm or even earlier, especially on nights when we are both completely and utterly exhausted.

Last night, though, we stayed up too late. First, we watched our show.

Then we decided to stay up and watch Captain Phillips.

We had seen it before but thought, “What the heck? Our daughters are great sleepers. They are in bed. Tomorrow is Saturday. We can sleep in.”

I’m sure God was laughing at me.

Our daughters are typically in bed between 7-8 pm.

Yes, I am that Mom—the one who believes in the supreme importance of a decent bedtime for children.

I have seen firsthand with my children that sleep begets sleep.

The earlier they go to bed, the longer they sleep in. The later they go to bed, the earlier they wake up.

It’s absolute insanity. But it is the truth.

So last night, when we hit the sack, I believed I wouldn’t have to wake up again until the next morning.

I had been asleep for maybe 30 minutes when a tiny voice woke me up. “Mommy. My legs are cramping.” I ushered our oldest into bed, and Daddy went to get the ice pack.

Our five-year-old is almost 4 feet tall. She grows at a rapid pace. Every few months, it seems she is in the middle of a growth spurt, with her legs cramping. It typically lasts a day or two.

Daddy inevitably grabbed the wrong ice pack. When I returned with the correct ice pack, my girl and I snuggled for all ten minutes.

Then, the restlessness began.

I liken co-sleeping with my oldest daughter to trying to sleep with a fish caught in a net. There is so much flopping, flipping, turning, jerking, and tumbling.

I honestly don’t know how other families co-sleep. I cannot do it. I do not like anyone touching me while I’m sleeping.

The wiggling keeps me awake. Finally, after about an hour, I decided I had enough of B squirming, of opening my eyes to see her staring at me, and of my hair getting caught under her as she tossed and turned.

“Baby girl, I think you would be more comfortable sleeping in bed,” I whispered.

“No, I like it here.” She whispered back.

“Okay, sweetie. Mommy cannot sleep with all your wiggling, so I am going to go sleep on the couch.”

After five minutes, I was settled on the couch, about to drift away.

“Mommy.” I heard. “I am going to go back upstairs. You can go back to your bed.”

I honestly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

My husband slept through the whole thing.

It never fails. When I stay up late, those are the nights my children wake up in the middle of the night, needing me.

When we have to leave the house at a specific time, my children are slow as a turtle.

It. Never. Fails.

But this is Parenting. Right?

Raising children takes work. It is not a walk in the park. Parenting is not for the faint of heart.

Yesterday, my two-year-old refused to put on a diaper. She thinks she is ready to be a big girl.

Yet, she will not touch the potty. No matter how much I try to bribe her.

So she wants to run around in big girl panties without the effort of learning to use the potty or listening to her body.

That is why I know she is not ready. But stubborn that girl is. So I let her wear big girl panties.

It lasted all of 10 minutes.

All chaos ensued until she had an accident on our kitchen chair during lunch.

Four little girls were talking or crying simultaneously, and I was trying to pry my two-year-old off the chair so I could clean the pee off her and the chair. But, of course, that stubborn two-year-old wanted to keep those sopping-wet panties on.

She screamed, cried, and kept pulling them up. Of course, I said no and could finally pull them off her. I gave her the option of a diaper or more panties. Thankfully, she said diaper.

I didn’t feel like wiping up more pee.

Daily, I clean up enough bodily functions with four kids and three animals running around.

Her accident reminded me of a great deal of parenting.

Think about it.

Often, during parenting, we want to hold on so tightly to something that we know we need to let go of for the betterment of ourselves and our children.

I don’t know what that may be for you, but I know that every parent has to decide to let go of something. In my daughter’s case, it was gross, wet panties.

Last year, for my family, it was extra income so I could stay home with my kids and home-school them.

Has it been difficult? You better believe it.

Living on one income is not easy. It takes dedication, budgeting, and a lot of prayers, but we do it.

For other people, it may be giving up the expectations of your children.

It could be giving up sleep so you can spend more time with your kids or spouse or even more time in prayer.

For others, sacrificing the big house and fancy car for a smaller one so you can spend more time with your kids and less time at work.

It may be expectations of yourself as a parent or spouse.

Or expectations of your spouse as a parent and partner.

Whatever it may be, it’s possible to let go. It is possible to parent without the expectations you set for yourself.

Here is the thing that tells us parenting is worth it.

It’s messy.

It’s hard.

It’s frustrating.

Parenting is also rewarding.

And fun.

And such a blessing.

Parenting is worth it, 100%.

What to do next; Join the FB group From Chaos to Calm.