Let's Pretend that You're the Mom

Summer Time and Bed Time are not fond friends over here at my house.

Maybe at yours your kids still go to bed at their regularly scheduled times without regard to the light, or if they slept in, or if you all had dinner late because you're fond of eating outside on your deck after the heat has gone over the hill and is creeping away.

Or maybe not.

At any rate, it was no surprise to me that Landon didn't want to go to bed again tonight. Finally, drawing from one of his newer versions of "Let's pretend..." I said,

"Let's pretend that you're the son and I'm the mom and it's bed time."

"Ok.  Good idea."

"Okaaay, Toby. (what I call him when he is my "pretend" son) Let's go pick out pajamas for you!" I said a little too brightly.

"Ok, Mom. But could you say it in a normal voice so that you sound like a real person?"

Umm.  Sure.  Got a little too caught up in my character there, I guess.

We "pretended" to brush our teeth, get our pajamas on, read stories, pray and get tucked into bed with less fuss and hassle than I've seen in a week.

"Good night, Toby."

"Good night, Lulu."

As I walk out of his room,

"Oh, and mom?  Good night for real, too."