How cool is a sleep over?

I remember how fun it was as a kid to be invited over for a sleepover. It was special... so out of the ordinary, so anticipated, and so cool! I was invited to a birthday slumber party at Betsy Billey's house when we were in elementary school. She was in the same grade at the same school. We lived less than a mile and a half apart with dirt roads between us. We all brought our own sleeping bags and laid them out in the living room. We watched episodes of the Pink Panther on VHS video tape, told scary stories after the lights went out, and tried not to fall asleep.

As adults, there just aren't alot of sleep over opportunities. But while my husband was away at trainings for his job, my 4-year old and I stayed at my sister's house several nights. For DT it was so cool!

Well, last night we had my sister's family over for dinner...tacos, rice, beans, chips and salsa. She and her husband had driven separately since she was driving with the kids from home Plymouth 35 minutes away, and her husband was coming from work here in South Bend. As the evening wore on, and it was time for them all to head home, her 3-year old asked "Why do we have to go?" in an effort to buy just a little more time. Before I knew what I was saying, I heard my response, "It's time for DT to go to bed, and you, unless you want to sleep over."

Now, my nephew is what I'd call a Mamma's Boy (sorry, Anita). I didn't expect the crazy, resounding "Wahoo, okay, can I?" And as it turned out, he did stay...as well as his mom and his 2-year old sister. It wasn't the fiasco I would have expected if I had actually planned this sleep over. We all slept fine, and got up at a decent time to have a pancake and bacon breakfast. My sister got to do a little shopping and the kids got to play outside on the swingset and in the driveway with sidewalk chalk. They had a blast.