Christmas in (almost) July

Restraint.

A piercing stare into the baby monitor

Willing them to settle and sleep. 

He vowed not to go up and into their room a third time to remind them of their bedtime responsibility. 

In return

The no longer babies

Sing each other choruses of

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer 

In full voice.

It is May. 

Hands grip the kitchen counter. 

Arms extend.

Head down. 

Restraint. 

Mornings

My bed is made of Velcro
Each morning the kids try to free me
With their little hands and
Their cries of
Daddy wake up
I wanna eat breakfast
But it seems the only thing
That can free me from
Those little hooks and loops
Is my wife's inquiry
Hon are you up

RRRRRRIIIIPPPPP

As I try to feign that
I've been up for ages

One hundred books

Daddy I want to read books tomorrow

The room is dark

It is bedtime 

She is stalling

This is request 7 of 14

Daddy I want to read 100 books tomorrow

That is 8

I should have used

One of those techniques from the parenting books

Like

Wow one hundred is a lot of books, let's start with five

Or

I could have done the math

even the shortest board book takes two minutes we don't have one hundred board books so at least fifty will be longer books they will probably want me to read the rabbit is next that one alone is ten minutes

carry the two

That's at least three hours of reading

But 

I guess I'm not that kind of guy

Okay, honey tomorrow we can read one hundred books (why not)

Promise made

And 

Hours later

Sore voice

Late naptime

Late bedtime

Promise kept