Dear Lili,
My friends and roomies used to make fun of me in college. After hosting a party in our dorm room or at our apartment I would inevitably reach some point in the night where I’d look around at the John Hughes style scene – crunched beer cans, tipped over popcorn bowls, people passed out on floors, others making out, etc. and just want it all to end. Immediately. Right then and there. Why? Because I was tired.
I had an expression at the time which they still make fun of me today for. It was:
IT’S BEDTIME
Yes. That’s right. I would be hit almost immediately without warning with the urge to make the party end and walk around with a giant black garbage bag scooping things into it telling everyone the party was over and that …
IT’S BEDTIME
For the last two weeks you have been quite a handful to put to bed. You are SO SO SO clearly tired but you run around your room like a maniac, won’t sit still for a story, do forward rolls off your bean bag chair, ask for snack after snack after snack, beg for water, cry MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY, scream DADDY DADDY DADDY, etc. Yikes. By the time the house is quiet after a long, full, wonderful day it is at least 9PM. A long wonderful day. But LONG.
Tonight Dad was out watching football and I put you to bed. After 50 thousand attempts and needs and wants from you (snack, water, etc.) the lights were finally off and I left the room. I started to walk down the door and hear a huge scream and walked back in saying firmly in the dark:
K: Lilian? What is going on here.
L: Um…let’s see. (you actually said this – and with a perky tone)
K: Lilian.
L: Charlie sleeping?
K: Yes – your friend Charlie is sleeping.
L: Um…Sylas sleeping?
K: Yes – your friend Sylas is sleeping.
L: Um…Daddy sleeping?
K: No. Daddy is watching football. Then he is sleeping.
L: No office Daddy?
K: Lilian.
L: Hmn…now what… (you actually said this)
K: Lilian…(and without missing a beat it all came back to me…)
IT’S BEDTIME
xo
