We have been pretty lax when it comes to putting our kids to bed this summer.

 
“Can we have another show?”

 
Sure.

 
“Can we make smoothies and one for you guys too?”

 
Absolutely.

 
“Can we have a wrestle fight to the death?”

 
Well, it is summer holidays. Take it outside.

 
Last night, just before 9pm, Greg made an announcement, “Okay everyone, time for bed.”

 
The kids hadn’t heard anyone say those highly detested words before 9pm since school was still in progress. They were speechless.

 
Ellie ran to the kitchen to see if there had been a power failure and that’s why the clock read 8:54pm.

 
Chloe started to drag pink fuzzy down the hallway, looking over her shoulder like she’d just heard we were shipping her to military school. (the paperwork has not yet been finalized on that one)

 
Hanna squealed, “What are you talking about??? This is summer holidays! We have no reason to get up early!”

 
Then there was a series of arguments including things like, “It wouldn’t matter if I went to bed at midnight, I could still get up at 5am if I had to.”

 
There was a physical reaction as well. Hanna attempted (almost successfully) to slide me down the hall, pushing me by the shoulders while I lunged. Thankfully, she let up just before hitting the bedrooms. I guess she didn’t have enough gas in the tank to stuff my now weary, forty-year-old body up in the ducts.

 
I’m not sure which of our three won the prize for most ridiculous reason to force yourself to stay awake but they all really resonated with me in a wtf kind of way.

 
Ellie, the rule follower, headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and then said, “Well, you can make me go to bed but you can’t make me go to sleep.”

 
About an hour later she came to me to let me know she had reorganized her drawers and was planning to stay awake until 10pm.

 
I found her at 9:37pm sound asleep with her lights on, dresser drawers open and a picture of Greg and I—heads absent.

 
The back to school bedtime routine is going to be a nightmare.