The Binky

So it's another wild bed time at my house. The dogs are tearing around in circles, and I'm changing the Robby's third poopy diaper in 2 hours. Holding one hand on his chest to keep him from flipping over and crawling away (through the poopy diaper), I begin cleaning him up and yell to my girls "Riley and Alex, brush your teeth!". Riley continues to stare blankly at the television, and Alex continues to skip through the kitchen singing, "I don't know what to do, I just don't know what to do".
"Girls, I said brush your teeth, it's time for bed!", I yell. Riley mumbles "in a minute, my show is on". And Alex continues singing, "I don't know what to do, I just don't know what to do", but now she is playing in the dog water and there is a lake in my kitchen.
Thoroughly exasperated, I finish diapering Robby and put his pj's on, and ignore the girls while I put him in bed. I kiss his head and put him down, and just like every other night, he sticks his fingers in his mouth immediately and rolls over to go to sleep, grasping his blanky.
Back to the girls.
"Girls, have you brushed your teeth?", I ask. "I did Mommy", says Riley. "Me too", says Alex. "You did NOT!", exclaims an indignant Riley. So I ask Riley to go to her room, while I brush Alex's teeth. I turn around, and Alex is gone. "Mommy, she's in here", Riley yells from their room. I go into their room, and see a giggling lump under the covers of Alex's bed. I pull back her covers and brush her teeth while she is sitting in bed, tuck both girls in, and retire to my room. Only to hear "Thump, thump, giggle, giggle". I get up and quietly open the door to their room.....Alex is hanging onto the top bunk, dangling down, while Riley looks down on her laughing. I pick Alex up, place her back in bed and admonish my girls, "It's bed time - no talking, no playing, no singing. If I hear another peep, I will be back to take blankies away".
Four trips later (I know, what happened to following through with threats the first time?), I told Alex that I needed to take her binky and blankie. To my surprise, she said "OK, here". Uh, this wasn't supposed to happen. Quickly I think of the repurcussions of no binky blankie for my two year old....continuing to play, having trouble being able to sleep, waking in the middle of the night.....what have I done?? But there she was, with outstretched hands, offering her binky and blankie. I walk over and take them, and begin to walk out of the room. "Mommy, you forgot one" Alex said, holding out her last blankie. "Um, ok, thank you honey" I said, thoroughly confused and took the last one. My bluff called by a 2 year old. Again. Ack.
Back in my own bedroom, I fully expected to here more playing and screaming....but oddly enough, the next thing I remember is waking to the sound of Rob and Dominic returning home...and other than that, silence. I got up and quietly opened the door to the girls room and looked in on them. Both girls were sound asleep - Alex with NO binky and blankie. Yay Allie!!!!! Now let's see if we can repeat this miracle.....to be continued.....