A Bedtime Ritual

Nate has been playing this one particular game with the girls for a very long time. He pretends to fall asleep and they have to give him a kiss to wake him up. He snores and blows air and really makes a huge scene. The girls and I flew home from Houston a few months ago, and Nate was in the terminal waiting to help us with all our stuff. He saw us from a distance and by the time we reached him, he was plastered against the wall pretending to be asleep. Of course, the girls giggled with delight and ran up to Nate to "wake him up" with kisses.

This little game took a dramatic turn last week. We play this game with Jenna before bed. Jenna and I go upstairs to put jammies on, brush teeth, etc, and then we crawl in her bed and hide in her covers, pretending to be asleep. Last week, I heard Nate coming (he always clears his throat on the stairs so we know he's close) and I peeked my head out of the covers and busted out laughing. I saw something very similar to the picture above! Nate has taken to dressing up every night before he comes to "wake Jenna up." Parts of his outfit often include a princess tiara, sunglasses, a Cinderella or Snow White dress tied around his waist, a jump rope, a wand, and any of the girls' play jewelry. He really is a sight!

Just thought I'd share a little of Nate with you all. I hope Nate doesn't do this when the girls are 12, but I have a feeling the embarrassment is just starting.