Under the Bus

On the weekends we have a ritual for Full Speed. He is allowed on Friday and Saturday nights (if he has been respectful throughout the day) to fall asleep in Mom and Dad’s bed. When we turn in Mad Dog moves Full Speed to his own bed and we all happily sleep the night away.

T.Puzzle is getting old enough now that it is time to transition him to a big boy bed. Even though I know it is time, it has been put on the back-burner until Full Speed is through the other side of his surgeries. I try to have a strict policy of one major life event at time. As if I have any control over that one…

Last night, Mad Dog and I deemed T.Puzzle old enough to participate. Meaning I was going to allow the privilege of both boys to fall asleep in our bed. It was my job to get them in their pajama attire (Mad Dog did help bathe them), read them a story (I picked something short and sweet) and turn out the lights. Mad Dog was off on a Target-run to get us the second season of Entourage (Johnny Drama is our favorite).

T.Puzzle was awfully restless during our nighttime story. He kept attempting handstands and throwing his legs up in the air. He would inevitably lose his balance and slide off the side of the bed all the while yelling, “Whoa!” He has this way of saying “whoa” in a crescendo that perfectly mimics his falls to the floor.

I immediately was incredulous. Maybe my little T.Puzzle was not going to make it in a big-person bed after all. When I tucked them in, I regally climbed a-top my soap box (metaphorically speaking, you know I love a good metaphor) and sternly told them what’s what.

“Sleeping in Mommy and Daddy’s bed is a privilege and you must treat it as such. There can be no rough-housing and no one is allowed to leave the bed. The first boy I see come down the stairs will be immediately relocated to his bed no questions asked. If you think I’m not serious, go ahead and give me a try and see what happens,” I stated in my best don’t-mess-with-Mommy voice. I had sufficiently frightened myself so I figured that was the best I could do.

“I love you both, I will see you tomorrow (hopefully not a minute sooner).” I proceeded to head downstairs to our lanai to read my ‘People’ magazine (I’m not ashamed, I love my ‘People’!).

Not two minutes later I see T.Puzzle standing before me.

“Hi Mommy!” he says.

Well, that did it; I had to follow through on my threat. Up the stairs he went kicking and screaming. I put him in his room and shut the door. Even with the door closed it did next to nothing to muffle the roar of his tantrum.

Something wasn’t quite adding up. When T.Puzzle appeared before my eyes downstairs he had his brother’s doggie. Why would T.Puzzle have his brother’s doggie? I went into my room to investigate.

“Full Speed, did you tell your brother to bring me your doggie so he would get in trouble and have to go to his room (Full Speed does NOT like to share Mommy and Daddy’s bed with his brother!)?”

“Well, you see Mommy, T.Puzzle said he wanted to go downstairs and I helped pack him up.” He said it all so harmlessly.

I don’t know exactly what dialogue was exchanged between the two of them. I have a feeling Full Speed somehow threw T.Puzzle under the bus. Full Speed is lucky that T.Puzzle doesn’t have great verbal skills (yet, he is only two) to tell his side of the story. I’m guessing it might have went like this,

Full Speed says, “T.Puzzle, why don’t you go downstairs and show Mommy my doggie, she really wants to see it.”

T.Puzzle says, “Yeah.” He heads downstairs where he is promptly disciplined and placed in his crib. A win-win for Full Speed.

This is all speculation, next time I may need to put a recording device of some sort next to the bed. I have a feeling T.Puzzle could use the back-up.