Permission granted

Beth asks permission to do everything. It's really very sweet. Maybe you've noticed, but I think just about everything Beth does is sweet. Lately she has started to ask permission to go to sleep in the car. I've realized it's probably because sometimes I tell her, "Don't go to sleep!" You know, because if she sleeps at 6:00 p.m., it will probably ruin my whole night. The amazing thing is that if I tell her not to go to sleep, she obeys. If I grant permission, she promptly sleeps.

On Monday, we were driving with my nephew, Malachi (age 7), in the car. Beth asked, "Mom, can I go to sweep?" (It's not a typo. It's phonetic.) I said, "No, Beth. Please stay awake." She said okay and proceeded to absolutely DOMINATE the conversation. She wouldn't let Ammon, Nathan or Malachi get a word in. At one point, she announced, "I have a joke." And the boys politely listened. (Sarah was in another car.) Beth said, "Why did the chicken cross the kitchen?" Malachi said, "Why?" "To get a drink of orange juice on the other side."

Malachi politely forced some laughter. Beth shouted, "DON'T WAFF AT ME!!!!" So I explained to Beth that Malachi was laughing at her joke. She said, "It's NOT FUNNY!" Well, she's right about that.

Anyway, after we finished home evening with my grandma, we got back in the car to go get some ice cream. When we pulled into the ice cream place, I looked back at Beth who was starting to drift away. She said very sleepily, "I'm tired. Can I go to sweep now?" Before I could answer she noticed the car next to us. She woke right up, put both arms high in the air and said, "Mom, everybody's here! There's all my cousins and Lisa." (We were obviously meeting some family for ice cream.) That woke her up sufficiently to eat her ice cream. Afterwards, she asked one more time, "Mom, can I go to sweep now?" This time I said yes and she was asleep within seconds.