I need to write my story for work, but I just keep thinking about an evening earlier this week. After a very, very rare dinner “out” with the kids (Panda Express counts as “going out,” right?), and another game of tag down in the kitchen, I marched the kids upstairs for a bath.

And the stall tactics began.

Bath time is my time. That is, that’s when I let the kids sit in the tub for an hour playing while I do some reading (inevitably pages get wet, but I don’t care). I saw this cute scrapbook page on kids’ bedtime stall tactics. When I got the kids out of the bath, I ran downstairs, grabbed my camera, and started shooting all of the plans my kids try (successfully) to put off bedtime off just a bit longer.

Stall tactic No. 1: “Mom, can we play? Pleeeze!” Lately, the kids have brought out their their LeapPad Readers. But sometimes it’s a card game. Sometimes it’s Legos. Always, it’s fun. And since I’m gone all day at work, it’s usually the only time I get to play with their toys.

Stall tactic No. 2: “Mom, I need a drink!” Well, honestly, if I don’t let them get a drink then, I’ll be marching downstairs in the middle of the night for one.

Stall tactic No. 3: “Mom, we’re hungry!” The evening snack of choice in my house is a bowl of Cheez-it Crackers and Cheerios. I don’t know how it got started, but I remember when: my son was about 3 and he’s now 6!

Stall tactic No. 4: “Mom, one more book.” I’m a sucker. I love resting in bed with them and reading.

Finally, 9 o’clock rolls around (two hours after we started baths) and we all fall, exhausted, asleep in one twin bed.