photo by me

He looks docile and sweet and a bundle of cuddly joy.

But don’t let looks deceive you.

Beneath all of that sweetness lies a deceptive little hellion who delights in making the world revolve around him.

And why not? He can do it so he should.

He and his sister spent the night at my house Friday night. Everything is going according to plan. We all get to bed. Sleep is coming.

Yay!

And then…4 a.m.

Crying.

I go into the room where he is sleeping and he is probably a bit scared because it’s a different room than he’s use to. I pick him up. Bring him back to bed with Willow, Dakota and me.

So, a queen sized bed is now full of kid and doggy flesh and aunt Dawn is pushed to the very edges of the bed.

He lays down.

And starts talking.

Shhhhh. Go to sleep, Justice.

He sighs and is quiet.

Then he pops up into full-upright position. Hey! There’s a doggy in the bed who needs to be petted.

Justice. Lay down. Go back to sleep.

He lays down.

And his little pudgy adorable fingers start feeling my face, caressing me.

Then they start tugging at Willow’s hair.

Justice, leave sissy alone.

Back to caressing my face.

Back to talking.

Back to popping up.

Okay. I can sleep through this.

Until I almost fall off the bed.

And finally, around 7 a.m., I just get up, without much sleep.

And there is a big wet spot in my bed because his diaper has overflowed.

And then Dakota decides to throw up in the bed, right next to the wet spot – and all, coincidentally, where I sleep.

It’s a conspiracy.

And I complain but secretly, it was worth it because I got to cuddle with two adorable kids and a doggy I love.