Enter Sandman... Please? Pretty Please?

So, this is how bedtime usually starts at our house. Happy kids, reading books, lots of snuggles. Sounds blissful, right? Then, comes the time for lights-out. At first, all is well. Kids are quiet, so tired as we are, we go back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up dinner, or maybe to the family room to finish folding that last load of laundry. We finish, escape to our bedroom, get pajamas on, teeth brushed, and heave a sigh of relief as we sink into our own bed. As soon as we've found a comfortable spot and sense ourselves drifting off towards dreamland, a little voice pierces the silence. "Mommy? Daddy? I'm having trouble sleeping." Or, "I'm having a nightmare." Or, "I need a drink." And so, up we get, again, to get that drink, or calm those fears, or whatever else might be necessary. Sometimes it's my turn, sometimes it's Jared's turn. It usually turns out to be my turn, and the other night reminded me why. I was out late, almost 11:00 when I returned home. I found Jared and Jason together on the couch playing Super Mario Bros. "Why isn't Jason in bed?" I asked. "I had trouble sleeping," Jason replied. I gave Jared the stink-eye. He's supposed to be the grown-up, and get Jason in bed at a decent hour. Jared looked back at me sheepishly. "Actually," he admitted, "I've kept him up so he could tell me all the secrets of how to pass this level (of Super Mario Bros.)." Priorities, ya know?

Tonight, Jason's actually been sick, so he fell asleep around 6:00, for what we thought would be the rest of the night. No such luck. He woke up at 9:30, still with a fever, but just as chipper as ever. Jared and I were watching a movie in the family room, so Jason came to snuggle with us. But he wouldn't shut up. "Eenie meenie miney moe" is one of his new favorite games, and he will go on and on with this for an hour, at least. Unfortunately, it was interrupting our movie. So Jared, acting the adult this time, asked him to stop with the game and watch the movie. "I can do two things at once, you know, Dad!" Jason quipped back. I laughed.

When the movie was over, Jason didn't want to go back to his bed. So, he ended up where he usually ends up. In my bed.