After the boys are in bed I have this crazy expectation that I am going to be able to either sit down and relax or get something done (like blogging) that I haven't been able to get to earlier. There is just one problem with this idea- putting the kids in bed does not mean that they are asleep. Gabriel in particular is the master at calling me back into his room after bedtime. After the first few interruptions of my child-free time I often tell him that I am not going to respond to any more requests.
This is almost always a lie. Gabriel is unrelenting. He can call "Mom!" at 3 second intervals without changing the pitch or volume of his voice for an undetermined amount of time. The longest I've ever lasted against this barrage of "Mom!"-calling is 15 minutes. Eventually I just can't stand it anymore and I go to his room just so he will stop. I think the CIA should hire him to interrogate foreign spies.
What is most amazing is that he will do this in order to impart or receive the most trivial information.
Here are some examples of the response I get when I finally enter his room with an exasperated, "Yes. What on earth do you need Gabriel?!?"
"Um, is it okay if I wake up sometimes and need to use the bathroom?"
"Mom, are you guys making popcorn out there?"
"Mom, are you watching something?"
"Look, Mom, when I put my feet together it makes a triangle shape. See?"
"Um, well, um, well, actually, I was wondering.... well, I was wondering, um, what are we doing after bedtime?"
Me: "You'll wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed and go to preschool. I love you. Go to sleep."
5 minutes and a hundred "Mom!"s later...
"Um, well, what, um, what are we doing after preschool?"
"Mom, I have ten fingers."
"Look, Mom. This is my pillow."
"Mom, can I have some gum tomorrow?"
"Do you know where Pooh-bear's shirt is?"
"Mom, you forgot to say goodnight."
Me: "Goodnight Gabriel. I love you. GO TO SLEEP."
Sometimes I get very frustrated about this night time ritual. Marc reminds me that answering these nocturnal summons is just part of being Gabriel's mom, and isn't he worth it? Marc's right, Gabriel is so worth it. So for now, I'll continue to answer the call of the child.
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It's awesome that you actually remember all of those little requests. They're very typical around here too. You should start training Gabriel to say Dad instead, and see if Marc has the same idea about whether it is worth it! :)
ReplyDeleteI am laughing out loud! I can only imagine that Maya will be quite the same way in a year or two. For now I will just enjoy her one-two word sentences.
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