Getting Soft

I am the bedtime Nazi. Bedtime is at 8, if not sooner. And don't be getting up cause you'll be sorry you did. My kids need the sleep, and Andy and I need the alone time. But Sunday night, I got soft. Zak and Paige had already fallen asleep, and Rene' had taken a very long nap that day. So when she came down the hall, dragging her purple "lankie", I didn't scoop her up and whisk her back to bed, I grabbed her and sat her on the couch with Andy and to watch the rest of the football game. I let her sit on my lap for a few minutes, then said, "ok, next commercial, your going to bed". Andy said, "oh let her stay up and watch the rest of the game, mom." I couldn't say no. She was all cuddled up between us, asking why those guys were pushing each other down. It was a moment, you don't get very often at all with child #3. And had I broken out the bedtime Nazi persona, I would have missed it. And I'm so glad I didn't.