I had an interesting evening last night at my brother's house. We ended up getting there later than I had anticipated and so it made sense for me to put the kids down to bed so we could hang out and chat. Bennett protested at first, but did finally go to sleep. I *thought* Morgan was asleep until she showed her face, about 40 minutes later. She claimed to have gone to sleep and she told me that she was ready to go home to Grandma's house. I was right in the middle of a conversation with my sister-in-law and off and on with my brother (it was our first real opportunity to sit and talk without interruptions), so I was not really ready to leave. I felt bad about making her go back upstairs in a house that she's not all too familiar with, so I let her sit on my lap while I continued talking.
About three or four days ago, Morgan BEGGED me to let her stay up as late as I did. She told me that she didn't want to go to bed because it was boring. So, with this in mind, I didn't really mind letting her stay up a little since she never gets to do it and I knew she really wanted to be "one of the girls". So, we're sitting on the couch chatting and watching What Not to Wear. And there she is. In the middle of the couch, hanging with the girls. My sister-in-law went to get a little snack, and Morgan asked if she could have some. My first inclination was there's no way I'm adding sugar to an overtired preschooler, but my sister-in-law reminded me that we ARE on vacation. So, she got a bowl of dry fruity cheerios (which I don't keep in our house, so it's a treat) to eat in the living room while we watched TV and chatted. Oh, the excitement she had. She kept saying that she could NOT BELIEVE that she was staying up with us and hanging out. She promised not to speak a word of it to her younger cousin, who was asleep upstairs, and who would have been terribly jealous. She was sitting there, between us, watching us as we talked, popping fruity cheerios in her mouth, all the while with a HUGE grin on her face.
She really felt like she got to do something special, and she really did. Bedtime is sacred around our house because it's the only time that Lance and I really have to ourselves. So, bedtime is bedtime is bedtime. So, the fact that she was up late was cool. Hanging out with the girls, even cooler. When we got back to my parents' house, they were still up and she went ON and ON about how she got to stay up as late as me. Did you hear? Did you hear about it? Hee Hee!
She also made me realize that sometimes I just need to relax a little and not worry about being "on top" of her. She is just a kid after all. And those special, fun, unplanned moments are the stuff of great childhood memories. Last night, she kept grinning at me, knowing that she was doing something special and that we were sharing it together. If I could physically FEEL a bond being made, it was definitely happening last night. She may really make me loose my patience and sometimes my temper, but I just love that girl.
I thoroughly enjoyed last night and I know she did too. We'll see how bedtime tonight goes. Lucky for me, my Mom and I are going to see The Happening tonight, so it's all about Grandpa! :)
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