So we're in the van, driving along, and Jacob spontaneously, casually, and a little gleefully says from the back seat, "we have a bedtime, but something always happens so we don't have to use it." Nathan, sitting up front with me, and I exchange looks and try to not laugh, Nathan sarcastically said, "oh, that was not random" and continues to grin. At first I just thought "how cute," "how true," and "with Jacob around life is never dull." Then years worth of experience with children led me to gasp and think, "what conversation happened earlier today at school that Jacob must have said something during and is now suddenly remembering?"
So,
here's what ended up delaying bedtime tonight ...
Although it's been pouring buckets of rain today, it seemed safe that it wouldn't snow tonight so, for Family Night, we loaded in the van and headed to town, choosing and singing hymns along the way. I still had a gift card for In-N-Out left over from Christmas and we used it for a scrumptious dinner. Michael also so generously took us to a movie using his gift card for the theater. He choose "Bedtime Stories," which we really liked - very cute, sweet, funny, not too scary, good family movie. We saw the late afternoon show and afterward, as the credits rolled, Jessica and Jacob used plastic booster seats as sleds and slid down the sloped floor several times, grabbing them and hurryied back "uphill" to do it again. Michael, Nathan and I just sat and watched them use up energy in a non-destructive/non-disruptive way. (I decided the three of us looked sillier just sitting there watching than they did sliding - they were just doing what any little kid would do given something sturdy and plastic, a gently sloped floor and an empty room - but we just laughed at ourselves and sat another minute.) When we got back to the car, we had our dessert - devouring my whole box of Girl Scout Cookies which was just delivered earlier today - and I drove home and all the kids fell asleep. Jacob was even actually technically asleep not too far past his bedtime.
It was a wonderful evening, and SO needed, thank you to sweet friends and to "Santa's Elves" for the gift cards.
