I hate bedtime

So my kids go to bed later than most kids in most families.  Usually this is a consequence of a combination of lots of things- travel, activities, night owl daughter, long naps, etc etc.  Days like today when I can see just how tired my kids are during dinnertime I start to get a bit excited.  Maybe tonight is the night that I can put the kids to bed early.  So I start the bath right after dinner.  I have them race to put their pajamas on. The teeth are brushed.  I recruit Reuben to tell stories. It's all topped off with a bedtime prayer and a song.  Sometimes it's calm and happy, just like the movies.  I always think of how proud I am when this process only takes me an hour.  And then the real chaos begins.  Ariana starts doing kartwheels in the dark.  Corban poos through his diaper.  They are both thirsty.  Corban won't stay in his room despite being put it there many times.  We lock him in.  He figures out how to unlock the door.  Ariana wails about this or that or just comes in our room to peek on what we are doing. 

Another hour passes and it is finally quiet again.  And then we heard some commotion downstairs.  I let it slide for a minute- it's just Ariana getting a drink of water, right?  No, I go downstairs and see that Corban has once again figured out how to get past us.  He has climbed the counter, pulled out the girl scout cookies, unrolled the paper towels, opened up a package of herbal tea, opened up the freezer and pulled out the icecream- even got out a childspoon and started eating it, pulled the silverware tray from the dishwasher unto the floor, pulled out about 5 sippy cups, and is sitting there on the counter looking very innocent playing with a handful of uncooked rice.  I didn't get a picture of that- I know that I should have, but instead I put him right back to bed- wailing again because he knows that he is guilty.  It's ten o'clock at night now.  Why do my babies not like sleeping?  You know, he's done this at three am too. . . .