It Starts

The other night, I was putting the kids to bed, and Duncan ended up being last. Duncan being the last to be tucked into bed is nothing new, it's quite common.

Over the past year or two, Duncan's gone from wanting to be first to go through the bedtime routine, to now insisting to be last (so he can be up later). By insisting, I mean he politely offers to let the other kids be next, and they're usually happy for the offer and step in to be next. Most often, this occurs during the teeth brushing, which is what they do last before getting into bed.

So this night, Duncan is last, we've sung our bedtime song, and I'm trying to say goodnight, and he wants to talk about why I'm farther in a Wii game that he is. He asks me if I play after he goes to bed, and I say yes, sometimes. He doesn't think that's fair.

Then comes the question we've all asked our parents... "Can I stay up later?"

He then begins to explain why he should be able to stay up, and I feel the laughter brewing inside of me. I'm trying not to laugh, so he doesn't think I'm laughing at his request or explanation, but the memories of asking and trying to explain why I wanted to stay up as a kid came quickly to mind, and I couldn't keep it in any longer... i had to laugh. It came out as a hearty chuckle and it made Duncan stop talking because he wasn't expecting it. He asked why I was laughing, so I told him I remember asking MY mom and dad the same question. And then I laughed some more, because I knew I was going to say no. It was a weird feeling recognising the memories and being on the opposite end of the question, and giving the same answers I probably heard as a kid.

It was just as fun telling Anna how it all went down, so I thought I'd share here too.

It Starts...