I feel that a normal and appropriate bedtime for a four year old is somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30, depending on what time said four year old needs to get up in the morning. Anna feels that a normal and appropriate bedtime is never, and that the current ritual of bath, books, teeth and snuggles should be upgraded to a more elaborate dance of bathing with me and having a ten hour rubber duck fight, ninety books, her doing her own tooth brushing, snuggles complete with non-stop talking (her), followed by her reading ninety books on her own, followed by calling me back to her room and lying down with her until she falls asleep, warm little hand possessively cupping my upper breast, a habit leftover from early toddlerhood.
It seems a surprise to her that I'm unwilling to perform her version of Ultimate Bedtime Showdown; every single night, it's a surprise. Most nights, after I've done a few minutes of snuggling and listening, I leave to do exciting things such as cleaning up and folding laundry, whilst listening to the mournful cries and sad tales from Anna's room. Tonight's excuses as to why my child could not possibly fall asleep until 10:45 pm (no joke) were:
1. I miss the friend I played with today (and will likely see in a very few days time)
2. It is dark outside, and I wish the sun would never go away, because dark is stupid
3. Upon me explaining that if it was never dark, the owls would never get to come out and play because owls sleep in the day and come out at night, she tearfully declared that, "I think I hate owls now and this is sad".
That last one there should be proof enough that four year old children are crazy.