Win-Win

Dexter seems to have figured out a win-win solution to getting out of bed before dawn and being put back in bed by Mommy or Daddy until sunrise. The other morning (at 5:00 in the morning!), Dexter was at our bed saying it was time to get up. I told him that it was still the middle of the night and that he had to go back to bed. I led him back to his room, tucked him in, and told him that it wouldn't be time to get up until the sun came up (of course, the sun is starting to rise earlier and earlier so I was pulling his shades and drapes shut to keep out any emerging sunlight). I went back to bed, pleased that he went back down so willingly. Soon, I heard him playing with toys in his room. A fine compromise I thought and drifted in and out of fuzzy morning sleep. Before long, I heard Dexter's door open and braced myself for getting up with him. But as he was walking towards our bedroom door, I heard him say to himself, "Mmmmmm. I'll close Mommy and Daddy's door." And he did! Then he went right ahead playing by himself in the living room without "disturbing" us. Now we just need to be aware of the fact that he might get up and close our bedroom door without waking us up first...