Most disobedient children in the world (“do not out-mischief your parents,” we commanded, so guess what they did?).

(March 4, 2013)

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Do you want me get your pet dinosaur to sleep with? I asked him at bedtime.

Yeah.

So I brought in his purple dinosaur to snuggle with, in his bed next to his sister's bed. His current state of independence is such that he doesn't want to sleep in his own room, and he doesn't always want to sleep in his sister's bed...but he does enjoy sleeping in his makeshift bed next to her bed:

an oversize yellow beach towel.

Few minutes later, I heard him calling. I go in, and he informs me that his dinosaur is tickling him, so would I please remove him?

I acquiesce. No dinosaur.

Few minutes later, I hear my voice being called again, increasing in volume until on the 25th time it is too loud to ignore. I head in,

and the below photograph is what awaits me:

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Him, next to sleeping sister, perusing his way through the almost-pictureless The Reptile Room, the second book in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events series. 

Is Count Olaf not very nice?

 he asks, as if that is the most natural thing in the world to be asking an hour after he's supposed to be asleep.

No, he's not very nice.

I pat his head and quietly exit, leaving him dinosaurless, but well-protected with drumstick, book, and slumbering girls.

So just build something unique, instead of a soul-less Sisyphean quest for perfection (tribute to Frank Gehry).