Going To Bed Games

The boys have hockey practice almost every night this year, so they get home at or after bedtime and they're pumped full of adrenaline. Our routine is for them to take a shower and get into PJs before coming down for snack of what we hope will be nourishing and calming (milk, banana, turkey, cheese...). Most nights, it takes at least half an hour before they're in bed and it isn't all that unusual for them to be up an hour or - give me strength - two before we finally manage to get them down for the night.

One recent evening found me sending prayers for strength to every God and passed ancestor I could think of. Finally, after umpteen zillion attempts to calm the boys down, I stormed upstairs, switched on their bedroom light and snapped, "Ross! Vacuum the upstairs! NOW. Lars, clean your bathroom sink. GO."

They leaped into action, Ross jubilant about not having to go to bed, Lars ecstatic because he got the shorter task. Boy was he mad when I snapped, "TOILET NEXT," as soon as he'd polished the sink! The tub also got a wipedown and Ross had made it to the downstairs hall with his vacuum before they both began to protest wildly. I calmly informed them that if they were awake enough to be such pests, they were awake enough to contribute to the household and then sat back to enjoy the show.

Lars instantly put his cleaning things away and washed his hands, all the while saying, "I'm really tired, Mama! I skated TWO practices and I really need my sleep." Ross staged a big yawn and asked how much more he had to do before he would be allowed to go to sleep. I struggled not to smile.

Four minutes later, both were snuggled into bed. The upstairs looked neat, the downstairs looked as if an attempt had been made, and I didn't hear a peep from either boy until morning.