Dedication.

M does not like bedtime. At all. He’ll think up any excuse to avoid it and gets very annoyed when his big brother falls asleep like a traitor.

His usual habit is to sit at the top of the stairs and assault his parents with the failures of his life. “I’m lonely!” he cries. “Nobody plays with me!”

There is only so much of this a parent can take before you have to go and address the issue. This begins with either K or I going upstairs and putting him back in bed. This also begins the excuse phase of the evening. Our standard leads are: “I’m not tired,” “I’m hungry” or our favorite catch-all, “I’m just sad.”

There are three cures to sadness, generally. A story, a sip of water or a song. Usually a combination to knock out the blues completely as just one only makes us feel “a little happier.”

M is dedicated in his sadness. He will continue to whine and moan no matter how much you ignore him. He falls asleep on the rug at the top of the stairs. It’s pathetic and he know it. He wields it well. He is invincible in his dedication.

Case in point: Wednesday night we skipped the big three and called in the long reliever, “I’m hungry.” Starving, even. Desert would solve all. I made one trip up to promise a nice breakfast and was cast out for my failure to cure the issue. K went up and was able to secure detente by promising that as soon as she sent a few emails, she would bring M some crackers. Victory was in reach when he agreed, but asked to be under the blankets while he waited. K came back downstairs and told me he’d be asleep in a few. And he was. Time on the clock: 9:47 pm.

6:08 am Thursday morning, we are roused by M’s voice from his bedroom, “Mommy? Where are my crackers?”

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