Reflexes

First of all, Rachel's baby is here! 8 lbs 3 oz., but no name yet. I wish I could be there!

The boys are all overtired. It's hard to get motivated to get them in bed when it's still light outside. I guess it's a very good thing the days are starting to shorten from here on out. They've had too many really, really late nights, and it shows in their behavior. Particularly one 6-year-old night-owl that I have here. I heard him last night at 11:00 PM, no kidding. He had smuggled blocks up into his room and I heard a tower collapse. I looked up there and saw the tell-tale rim of light around the door, and hissed in my loudest mad-whisper, "GET IN BED IMMEDIATELY. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER SOUND!" Does it make sense to quote a whisper in all caps? It was a really angry whisper.
So anyway, fast forward to tonight, that 6-year-old night-owl is pretty much at the end of his rope. I have another 8-year-old night-owl who thinks it is rather fun to torment his brother when he's at the end of his rope. Not too obviously, just enough to keep plausible deniability. Turning off all the lights here, pretending to use his brother's toothbrush there. This and that until the 6-year-old night-owl finally breaks. Then it is fisticuffs and tears and screaming and running and slamming doors. Fun, fun, fun.
My favorite line during the aftermath of it all was from the 6-year-old night-owl. "I DIDN'T PUNCH HIM!" (These all-caps are because he was yelling at top volume.) "BUT IF I DID IT WAS JUST A REFLEX AND I CAN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY REFLEXES!!!"
That pretty much says it all.
I wonder if my boys' pediatrician will be testing for the "punching reflex" at their next annual checkup! :-)