August 2, 2003 - Saturday
Today was the beginning of our annual week at the bench cottage and the first of seven nights that Harry and Jeremy will be sleeping in the same room. They've done that before a few times, including this spring here at the cottage and at Grandpa's house last weekend, and it's not at all bad once they're asleep. But, if either of them is not tired, then we have a decision to make: either hound them to keep quiet and go to sleep, probably listening outside the door, or just letting them be brothers. We've taken both approaches at various times, depending on the specific situation.

It's easy to say that the second approach is easier and maybe better, but it is at the potential expense of schedule and well rested boys and those are shortcomings with other repercussions. like how tired they really are (as opposed to how excited a given moment makes them) or whether there's an afternoon schedule that mandates falling asleep soon enough to not have the naps dramatically truncated. For example, when we had to get them up at 5:00am to catch the plane last week, I actually laid down on a mattress in the next room with the door open so I could see when either of them stood up to look at the other. Otherwise, the excitement of a new place would have ruined any plans for the afternoon. On the other hand, it is kind of fun to hear our two boys playing games, making each other laugh, and, well, causing a little mischief, at least for a little while. The key word seems to be something that sounds like "hee-yah" or "hee-yuht," depending on the mood or temporal inflection. It's something that Jeremy started, but Harry seems to have picked up on it and, even outside the bedroom, it seems to be there code word for let's goof around.


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