After the boys put on their PJs, brush their teeth and use the potty, Jeff puts them to bed. He reads them a couple of stories then tucks them in. But before he and I can get to our regular routine of dishes, laundry, cleaning, TV and surfing the internet until midnight, we must sit and wait because the boys' night has just begun.
It begins with repeated trips to the bathroom. While doesn't seem like a big deal, it is. Despite the pre-bedtime bathroom trip and our restrictions (albeit lax) on their nighttime water drinking, the boys continuously get up to use the potty even if only for one drop of pee. When one gets up, the other one follows. And each time, they walk to the bathroom with smirks on their faces; smiles that let us they're up to something. Some nights it's an even longer process because one or both will also have to poop. If it's Henry, the whole process can take up to two hours.
Once all the pottying is done, they stay awake talking. Usually, it's Henry who stays up longer. He reads his books aloud in bed. He relives the last day or plans the next one in a one-way conversation with Drew. Although their bed time is 8:00, they often do not fall asleep until after 10. This isn't just with us. Last night, Papa and Gigi babysat and the boys gave the same nightly performance.
Of course, tonight as I type this, Henry made only one potty trip while Drew made two. And neither of them spoke to the other before falling fast asleep. Perhaps I should take advantage of this rare occasion and use the extra time to do more laundry, but I think I'll do something atypical as well, like catch up on sleep.
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