Maybe Louise Will

We are having a mid week sleep over with Hurricane and Tornado tonight, in honour of Aunt Maegans need to get as much nephew time in as possible. I had forgotten just how tired you can get trying to entertain and look after little ones. I was ready for bed about two hours ago. No so for my grand sons.

I can remember that bedtime was more of an event than a happening. It starts with subtle hints that bedtime is fast approaching and they have just five more minutes of play and then it is time to get ready for bed. A half hour of wheedling later, there is the struggle of trying to get flailing arms and kicking legs into PJ’s. After some warm milk and brushed teeth we are ready to pick a book to read. I now see the downside of having more than one book in the house. We finally narrow it down to three books and start to read, but having help turning the pages has me getting creative with the story line.

I can remember reading The Lorax to my kids about a thousand times and from what I understand it is a favourite of Hurricane and Tornado. I think it is a good thing for kids to be read to at night, because it instils a love of literature in them. I guess a big dog walking over to a lake and drinking the lake up is literature…I guess.

We tuck the kids in and give kisses and hugs all around, making sure the night light is on and very quietly close the door. Less than a minute later, the sound of little voices reach your ears even before you’ve managed to sit down. You open the door and find both out of bed and trying to wrestle a pillow and several stuffed animals into each bed. More kisses and another tuck, door closed and this time you make it into the chair before the voices reach your ears. I throw open the door and say “Hey! Go to sleep!” Like that is going to work.

This when they play the “mommy” card. I say that Grandma and Poppa are looking after them for tonight and they will see mommy tomorrow. I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, I am lying on the floor between the two beds in the dark going “ssshhh”, “Try to sleep”. “You can’t sleep if you are talking.” This is about the point where I have to force myself to stay awake, because of the three of us; I am the only one who can’t keep his eyes open.

I wake up about ten or so minutes later and I hear steady, rhythmic breathing from either side of me. Finally! Uh-oh, I think we forgot to go potty before getting into bed. No way am I going to wake anyone up, I’ll deal with changing sheets at three in the morning. Well, maybe Louise will…