Trouble with Good Intentions.

So, I know I said I would make a post every day.  Yeah, that was a little ambitious.  I actually have some great ideas for my posts, but they would be time consuming...so they sit in my head.  I'm hoping on Sunday I'll have some time to post one of those.  Until then, I thought I'd share something that happened the other night.  

Monday night, we had Family Home Evening.  Miracles never cease.  ;)  We talked about families, and how to be a happy family.  We had a little game that went with it, and then we talked about each child individually and what role they could have in helping us to become a successful happy family.  One specific thing we talked about having the kids do, was to 'serve' each other.  (Make someone's bed, help with the cleaning, etc...)  Ella really keened in on this one.   I think this may have contributed to what followed.  So the story continues....

 Later that night, Brenna (7) and Ella (5) asked if they could sleep in the same bed.  They share a room.  I said sure. Before Jon went to bed that night, he moved them to separate beds because they always get a better nights sleep that way.  He just picked up the one that was closest, who happened to be Ella, and moved her to the empty bed...which just happened to be Brenna's.  I'm thinking this was also a contributing factor to what followed.  

 So Tuesday morning rolls around, and I go out to the family room to find Brenna and Ella on a "blanket bed" they had made on the floor.  Surrounding them, I see bowls of cereal, boxes of cereal, a huge container of animal crackers open, an empty bag that used to have cut up apples in it, cups with orange juice.  I look around the room, and there are about 30 colored pages from a coloring book that have been torn out and taped up all over the walls.  Ella is fast asleep on the "blanket bed", but Brenna proceeds to tell me that they woke up at 2:00 in the morning and decided to come out here together.  They've been up ever since.  WHAT??!!  Yep, they were up ALL night coloring, eating, watching cartoons, and hanging out together.  Is that just the strangest thing?  I think what bothers me the most is that neither Jon nor I heard them!  We slept very soundly through all of their merry-making.  :O)  

 I asked all of the questions a parent would ask in a situation like this.  Brenna really didn't have any sort of satisfactory answer.  Of course, then it was time to get ready for school.  And of course, she says she's soooooo tired, and can't go to school.  I told her tough.  You aaaaare going. Surprise surprise,  I get a call from the school later that afternoon saying that Brenna isn't feeling well.  HA!  

 I had to shake Ella awake at 10:15 to go to gymnastics, but then she seemed to be ok for the rest of the day.  She was a little crankier than usual, but I'm used to that.  So after she seems coherent enough to answer some questions, I ask her what last night was about.  She proceeds to tell me that she was trying to "serve" the family by decorating the house with pictures.  She also wanted to have breakfast waiting for everyone (hence the cereal all over) but she thought it would be soggy if she put the milk in.  Well, at least our lesson at FHE sunk in with her, lol...

 So after getting the stories from both of them, I think this is what happened:  Brenna woke around 2am.  Upon finding herself in the wrong bed, she had a hard time going back to sleep.  So, she woke Ella up.  They went to get drinks in the kitchen.  They saw the coloring book and tape. One look in the pantry to catch a glimpse of the cereal, and their little plan was under way.  So we had a little chat about different ways to serve the family that won't end up with them being so sleep deprived.  :)