Bedtime Ritual

Every day, Mikie reminds me of my sister, Katie, a little more. His looks, to an extent. His outgoing personality. Everytime I have to say the words "Mikie, No!", I think back to the number of times my parents yelled "Katie, No!". Every morning that Mikie won't get out of bed, I think of Katie yelling "5 more minutes" to anyone who tried to wake her from her beauty sleep. Everytime Mikie tries to convince me of something I don't want him to eat, I think of my toddler sister trying to convince our Grandfather that you CAN put butter on a hotdog.

The latest in Mikie/Katie parallel: the bedtime ritual. Oh how vividly I remember the evening serenade "I need a drink of water". Followed, 10-15 minutes later by an open bedroom door, my mother yelling "Katie, get back in your room", with my sister arguing "But I have to use the bathroom!"

Unlike Katie, Mikie seems to have adopted this ritual at an earlier age. Every evening, within ten minutes of Mike closing his bedroom door, a voice calls down the stairs "Daa-aad, I need a drink of waa-ter." It is especially funny since he has a bottle of water next to the head of his bed.

Ten minutes after Mike puts him to bed the SECOND time, a similar voice sings "Daa-aad, I need to use the pot-ty." Depending on Mike's mood, he may simply yell up, "Turn on the light, go use the bathroom, flush when you are done, turn out the light, and go back to bed!" (You have to list every step, or he will run back to bed without flushing.) If he is in a good mood, he'll go up the stairs to supervise.

Ten minutes after returing to bed the THIRD time, you may hear a voice asking "Dad, are the Patriots on TV? 'Cause I love the Patriots." (Die hard New Englander, or Brown Nose, you be the judge.)

If he were REALLY smart, he would start asking about the Red Sox. He might get further.

Love,
The Trahans