The Darndest Things

Because summer days are longer, my three children play outside later and consequently need a “bedtime snack” to tide them over until breakfast. It has become quite a ritual at our house, and it often makes me smile thinking back on having a bedtime snack with my own three brothers as a child. I have found that bedtime snack time is an amazing opportunity to interact with the kids. Everyone is fed, bathed and relaxed, which usually leads to the best conversations of the day. One night near the end of the school year really had me in stitches, so I thought I’d share it with my readers. It went something like this…    

On this night, the snack of choice was one of my personal favorites- a bowl of Reece’s Puffs cereal. As I was pouring the milk for everyone, Miley, who is four, asked, “Mom, can I sleep with my alligator tonight?” “Sure,” I said, “As long as the alligator goes to sleep.” The child does love her animals, and she always sleeps with her stuffed fox and pink “pamingo,” but lately, the alligator had become a favorite. I didn’t exactly understand the appeal, considering the gator was a foot long rubber bath toy, but she had emptied it of water and dried it well. She squealed at my response and hugged her alligator tightly in celebration. 

We LOVE Reese's Puffs!

“Hey mom, guess what,” six-year-old Madelyn piped up about that time. “A boy gave me flowers at school today, so we are going to get married. We’re in love,” she smiled dreamily, cocking her head to the side. Thank God my husband was not around. Her statement was so matter-of-fact that it caught me off guard, and unsure how to handle it, I blurted out, “I think kindergarten is a little young to talk about marriage, Madelyn, and besides, your big brother might not approve of that.” I stared at Cameron, who’s 13, sitting across the table. As our eyes met, and without missing a beat, he interlocked his fingers and stretched them outwards, popping his knuckles. “You are too young for a boyfriend, Madelyn,” he said calmly, punching his fist into his other hand. “I don’t want to hear about this again, or I’ll have to come to your school and break…his crayons.”

I started laughing so hard that it caught on, and we all were howling for several minutes before I was able to regain control. I was about to send the kids off to brush their teeth, when out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something strange. Miley swiftly dropped her hands behind her back, and I immediately asked her what she was hiding. “Oh, nothing, Mom, it’s just my alligator,” she said, holding him up and smiling sheepishly. “Let me see him a little closer,” I demanded.

As she handed him to me, a lone Reece’s Puff fell from his mouth onto the floor. Upon closer inspection, I found that the alligator was positively stuffed full of cereal, and I realized two things: 1) how the mysterious crumbs in her bed got there and 2) why she had become so enamored with that bath toy. “Oh mom, I just love my bedtime snack so much,” she whined. “You’re busted,” I replied as I emptied out the gator of his giant stash of delicious contents.

Miley's alligator :)

I love humor. It lowers stress levels, defangs confrontations, gets people on the same page, and promotes healing. I hope this post inspires you to lighten up this week and seek out some laughter. Happy chuckling!

This post was originally published in the Ellijay Times-Courier Newspaper on April 26, 2012.