Bedtime Rules

Patrick had a lot of catching up at work so that meant no help at bedtime tonight. No big deal. Done it plenty of times. After a horrific hour, I had finally managed to get Will and Sam asleep. I then went to get Jack out of "bedtime-thinking time" (his first time in there-- Will had already been in there twice). I picked him up, sat him in my lap and asked him what does bedtime mean. He answered. I told him he was right, that Will and Sam were asleep so it was time for him to go to sleep...quietly. He said ok and then began to lecture me--ever so sweetly on the "bedtime rules," as he called them. I apparently had broken the cardinal rule of not reading a bedtime story which causes them to "suddenly get wild," and "pop out of bed." Defeated, tired, and with vomit in my hair (Sam), I acknowledged my shortcomings and began carrying him to his room. His arms wrapped sweetly and gently around my neck, legs hugged tightly at my waist, he smiled and whispered with his face just inches from mine, "Mom, Dad's missing all the fun." I laughed...yes he is.