Manipulation Station

If our toddler were a choo-choo train, her favorite stop these days would be Manipulation Station.

Especially at bed time.  She stops there an awful lot between 8:00 and 9:30 EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT.

I guess we should be thankful that we have had fairly easy bed time routines up until now, but I'm already ready for the phase to be OVER.

Examples of the fun at Manipulation Station

1) If  Chris says he is going to put her to bed, she starts hyperventilating and crying about how she wants Mommy to put her to bed.  If I say I am going to put her to bed, it is all about wanting Daddy.

2) In order to avoid a massive meltdown, we NEED to read a downstairs book.  Upstairs books in her room are no longer sufficient.

3) When told to pick an animal to have in bed, first it is Greenbrier the bunny.  But no, she MUST have Heena the seal or she can't sleep.  Or no, it HAS to be Denver the giraffe.  NO NO, PIGLET. 

4) Gone are the days when we can hold her, sing, and she falls asleep.  If we try that now, her body flails as though there are twelve espressos coursing through her blood.

5) So we put her in her crib to sing.  She moves on her tummy.  Then her back.  Then needs a blanket on her.  Then off.  NO COVER MY FEET!  NO JAMMIES NO JAMMIES!  Not that blankie, THE OTHER ONE (to which I think, "what the heck are you talking about??")

6) After singing we emphatically whisper "Time for sleepies. NO TALKING!" and come downstairs to turn on the monitor, fully expecting AT LEAST 45 minutes of babbling.

7) Depending on how it is going, one of us goes up there to remind her to be quiet.  We reclose the door.  Then comes the hysterical "Open the door.  OPEN THE DOOR!" through the monitor.  One of us goes up to open the door, only to hear "NO CLOSE THE DOOR.  CLOSE THE DOOOOOOOOOOORRR!" 

8) "JUUUUUUICE!  I NEED JUUUUUUUUICE!"

9) On nights like tonight, after 1-7, the toddler thinks that the best way to continue hanging around Manipulation Station is to just scream and cry like her life is so horrible and she didn't just go to the Children's museum, on a couple of walks, run around Centennial Lakes, and out to dinner with Mommy and Daddy today.

After any number of these things that happen in any order at any time between 8:00 and 9:30, we (well, usually I) get fed up and just turn off the monitor for awhile.  And wish, hope and pray that the toddler choo-choo train is heading into Relaxation Station sometime very soon.

So my question for those who have gone through it:
*Do you just ignore all the demands and let them cry it out and assume they'll tire themselves out eventually?  It seems so hard to do because she is the OPPOSITE of ready to fall asleep when she decides she needs something. 
*Do we start the routine later?  We've always been strict 8:00 bedtime people (though a little later this summer) but we worry if we start later it will still take just as long and she'll be up even later.
*This is just a phase...right?  Please say yes!

Update: It is 9:05, officially 1 hour and 15 minutes after we started the whole bed time routine, and my amazing husband just managed to get her to sleep.

After #7 I gave up and started to blog.  Thank goodness for teamwork.