Early Bedtime Before a Big Weekend

The impending weekend is a big swim weekend for the girls, with both the Regional Championships and the end-of-season banquet taking place.  Julia and Madeleine are both beyond excited, although Ethan and I are certainly not looking forward to the crack-of-dawn wake-up call we face every year on Championship day.  Because the girls have had an evening swim practice and three out-of-town evening swim meets this week, and because we have to be at Championships so early in the morning, I informed the kids that tonight would be an extra early bedtime.  I was thinking 7:30 or so, but I guess the excited anticipation for it to just finally be Championship Day had Madeleine even further ahead of schedule.

At 6:47 pm, Madeleine emerged from the bathroom after brushing her teeth, already dressed in her pajamas.

MADELEINE: Would someone please give me a bedtime snuggle?
ME: You really want to go to bed at 6:47?
MADELEINE: (nodding a bit sheepishly)
ME: Do you really think you'll fall asleep this early?
MADELEINE: Well, I don't really have anything to read...
ME: So why don't you just stay up a teeny bit longer.  How about this?  Why don't you sit and chat with Daddy for 10 minutes or so, and then at 7:00 we can go in and do snuggles.  After all, Daddy just got home from work and you haven't seen him much today.
MADELEINE: Okay!

So Ethan and Madeleine went to sit on the couch and cozy up under a blanket.

MADELEINE: (cheerily) So, Daddy, what did you do at work today?
ETHAN: (absent-mindedly) What did I do at work today?  Hmm.  That's a good questions.

MADELEINE: (cheerily) So, how's the NEWS?
ETHAN: How's the news??
MADELEINE: (turning to me for help) Uh, well, I don't really know what to talk about!

I gotta say, I give Madeleine props for attempting to start up a conversation with Ethan.  I should have remembered that Ethan is basically brain-dead by Friday evenings before I suggested she sit and chat with him.

Madeleine did indeed fall asleep at 7:30, so we've got one kid down, one to go!  Sweet dreams, little swimmers!