There are times when I am simply floored by just how grown up our boys are.  Last night, for example, our bedtime routine kind of went out the window.  On bath night, we usually head upstairs around 7:30, get them into the bathtub, wash them and let them play for half an hour (those big triangular soaking tubs are awesome for twins, by the way).  Then we get them out, dressed, up on our bed for stories, to the toilet one more time, then into their beds.  If all went well, it’s about 8:25pm by then.  They con us into letting them look at a book in their beds, so I pick a number and start counting out load slowly – “when I get to, um, 17, it’s time to put your books away and get back into bed.”  Then we tuck them in, say our prayers, and beg the boys not to cry out for us more than 20 times over the next 15 minutes.  That’s the plan, anyway.  I know, ever so exciting, isn’t it?  Our bedtime routine used to involve a bunch of naked time, but as the boys get older it’s starting to feel a little less appropriate, and frankly I think Malina was a little uncomfortable when I stripped down to join in.

With Dexter still miserable with his cold, we started a bit early and got the boys upstairs around 7:20.  They were in the tub a couple of minutes later.  I got them washed, but then after only a few minutes Dex hopped out of the tub (I think he wanted to look through the skylight up at the moon).  I figured Dex would spend some extra time looking at stories while Nic played, but then I look over and Nic has climbed out too.  Okay, so we’re 25 minutes ahead of schedule and the boys had an extra long nap, so what to do?  We soldier on, and read our stories on our bed.  Then we take the boys into their room and let them look at stories in their beds.  I meant for this to last 10-15 minutes at least, but by the time I get back from the bathroom Nic has finished his book and climbed into bed.  I ask him, “Nic, are you sure you’re ready to go to sleep?”

“No, Daddy.  We haven’t said our prayers yet!”

Okay, not what I meant, but clearly Nic has his priorities.  So we say prayers, tuck the boys in, leave the room, and realize it’s only 8:05.  About 2 minutes later the “mommy…   mommy…   Mommy…  MOMMY!” calls start.  We try once to calm them, then decide to see if we can trust them not to get wound up if we turn on the reading light and let them read in their in their chairs all by themselves.  So I talk to them, and tell them that only big boys get to do this, and to read quietly, and if I hear them getting loud I’m going to have to come up and turn the light off and put them back in bed.  I figured I’d come back in 15 minutes and try to convince them to get back in bed.  I get back downstairs, and about 4 minutes later I hear “daddy…   daddy…” coming over the monitor.  I trump back upstairs, and find that they’ve put their books away and gotten back into bed, and want me to tuck them in and turn off the light.  What kind of kid gets permission to stay up late and decides, “no, that’s okay, tomorrow’s a big day of making waffles, playing with legos, reading stories, coloring, and crashing cars, so I need to get some rest.”  Seriously…

It didn’t quite last.  Dex was a little too wound up.  So back upstairs, and I offer him another deal.  If he can do me a favor and stay quiet in order to help Nic fall asleep, I’ll bring him a flashlight so he can read in bed after Nic is out.  The hope, of course, is that laying quietly in his bed waiting for his brother to fall asleep will trick Dex into doing the same.  I could guess by the size of his smile that my ploy wouldn’t work, but at least he was quiet.  We heard his footsteps once or twice, and I wonder if maybe he wasn’t checking to see if Nic was asleep.  About 15 minutes later Katie heads up.  Nic is out, so she gives Dex the little flashlight.  He grabs a book and hops into bed.  She tells him, “when you’re done, put your book away, turn off the flashlight, and get into bed.  After that we hear a couple of rustling pages, but no more noises from the room.  About 20 minutes later Katie heads back up to check on him.  The flashlight is still on, but he’s put his book away, put the flashlight up on the book shelf, gotten back into bed and fallen asleep.  It’s something like 9:30 by this point, so so much for an early bedtime, but still, kind of impressive.