"but you're my best friend"

Lately, Will has been pushing his boundaries when it comes to bedtime.  We have the same bedtime routine every night.  We put on Will's PJs, read a book or two, say prayers, and then lights off. 

Well, about 3 weeks ago Will figured out that he could turn the door knob and get out of his room.  So that started a nightly ritual of him coming out of his room and standing in the hall calling for us.  We instituted a "you can not get out of your bed unless mommy or daddy come into the room" rule.  That worked for a day or so.

Then Will started yelling for us.  He was REALLY loud.  So loud, that one of us would eventually have to go in there to tell him to stop yelling.  We then tried to explain to him that he only needed to yell if something was really wrong.  He then proceeded to start screaming "I NEED YOU MOMMY/DADDY!!!" Finally, he stopped the yelling for a couple of days. 

In all of this, we found the more tired he was, the more he tried to stall going to sleep. 

So last night, he was really tired!  We put Will to bed,  and Clay and I went about picking up around the house and getting ready for bed.  We heard Will talking to himself so we figured he would fall asleep in a few minutes.  Clay and I were standing in our bedroom talking and the next thing we hear is the door knob of Will's door turning.  I went to Will's door and this was the conversation that followed:

Me: Will get back in your bed.


Will: but you're my best fwiend

Me:  Will you need to get back in your bed

Will:  but you're my best fwiend, I need you

Me  (while holding Clay back because he thought it was so cute, he wanted to rush in and "save" him from bedtime): Will get back in your bed now

Will: I need my best fwiend

I opened the door and Clay and I both went in.  He jumped back in his bed and was smiling. Clay gave him one more kiss and hug, and then left the room. I explained to Will that he needed to go to sleep and that Mommy and Daddy needed to go to bed too.  I went and checked on him about 20 minutes later and he was fast asleep.

I am sure we have many more nights of bedtime drama ahead of us. Thankfully, once Will is asleep, he is a great sleeper and doesn't get up during the night.