Couch Potatoes

 After nine o'clock, I'm done for the day. I may have had ambitions to read a book, work on a project, sort through any given mess in our house, fold laundry or even write this blog. But most days, if the kids are asleep, I'm parked on the couch working my way through the DVR.

 But every once in awhile I have a companion - a wide awake toddler named Jackson. Some days he is so grumpy in the middle of the afternoon, that I surrender and let him take a nap. I'm hesitant to do this because he is then NEVER tired that night. It might be eight hours after he has taken that nap - but it doesn't matter, he is always up late on days that he takes a nap.

My parenting energies are spent by this time, however, and I am intent on catching up with Oprah, The Apprentice (yes, I still watch it) and Community. If Jackson wants to stay up - he now has to do what I want. Luckily, he doesn't fight or complain as Ayla would do. He happily sits on the couch for his late-night special treat of watching tv with mama.

It's the cutest thing to watch (appropriate) prime time television through his perspective. Tonight, he loved the opening credits to The Apprentice and kept saying "WHOA" every time they showed a helicopter or aerial view of New York City. He loves commercials and laughs at anything that seems remotely silly.

My growing boy snuggles up next to me on the couch and we watch trashy television. It all goes over his head and after about fifteen minutes, he is looking through our collection of books anyways. But I'll let him enjoy this special time every once in awhile, just because he's so adorable. (And he'll wreck his room if I just leave him up there instead.)