Be careful what you wish for...

Over a lovely dinner of chicken with wild rice my lovely bride says.
"I want to get up early tomorrow morning and go work-out. That ok with you?"

I did the quick computation of Boy #1 and #2's normal wake-up time(s) in relation to my getting ready for work/leaving time.
"Fine. What time are you thinking of going?"

She did her own ciphering.
"5:30 - that would get me back around 6:30."

That sounded right to me - the math worked out, and although it might cramp my early AM private time (read: watching History Channel and drinking coffee), I could handle it. I'm a Team (Tinsley) player.
"Cool."

We finished our dinner. Cleared the plates. Wrangled Boy(s). Bath. Lights out, night night.

(until something went bump in the night)

"...ddy where are you?"

I bolted up in the pitch black - confused - disoriented - coming out of a dream. What time was it? Who was calling my name. Wait, not my name, they said - "Daddy." Boy #2 can't talk yet, must be Boy #1...
"Daddy...where are you?"

I blindly tried to make out the time on the cable box - red blur.

"Daddy...Mommy...where are you?"

Struggling to wake up, I slide sideway and see that it is 4:40am. Still not sure what day it is, when my lovely Bride hits her bedside light and hits the floor to get Boy #1 who is in the hall. I fall back into bed.
"Hang on Son, Mommy's coming."

Next thing I know my Eldest Boy comes walking into the bedroom with his Mom close behind, in his hands are three good size construction toys (bulldozer, dump truck, and crane) piloted by Sesame Street denizens (Ernie, Elmo, and Cookie Monster.) Carter goes to pick Ethan up to put him in the bed only to discover that he is WET. Diaper failure. Urine soaked PJ bottoms, ceiling fan, the Boy was cold and it woke him up. My Lovely Bride heads back to his room to get a fresh diaper, and PJ bottoms, while the Boy climbs up on the bed and slides in next to me.

"Assume the position, please."

I quickly shuck his PJ bottoms and strip off his diaper (F Bomb to Huggies - No leaks my ass!) and snuggle up to him to try and warm him a bit. I should note that I'm sleeping in shorts, no shirt.

"Daddy need shirt."

Ethan appraises my bare chest and again asks...
"Daddy need shirt."

I should give you Dear Reader, some backstory on this quirk. I have a theory. Ethan never sleeps with us. The few times that he has, has generally been when we were traveling. Last time for our trip to Oklahoma where we slept together in a bed. I tried to sleep shirtless there too, and he wouldn't go for it. He doesn't disapprove of me not having a shirt on at the pool, or beach, in the yard, even around the house. Just in bed and when he wants to snuggle up next to me. Why?

When he was 2 or 3 months old, on a particularly grueling night, with me pacing the floors with him...I shirtless, tried to readjust his position in my arms and on my chest. In doing so he dipped down below my breast area, wait a minute, I'm a guy, MY PECS! Anyway - on the way back up, in my arms, he grazed my left nipple and being 2 to 3 months old, he did what came natural...he latched on for a snack. Creepy is the first word that comes to my mind now, same as then. I have no issues with breast feeding, think it is completely natural, etc. But when he started sucking on my nipple, it creeped me out real hard! I unlatched him seconds later, and we went back to walking the floor. So, it is my opinion that he also remembers that early moment in his life - and it might have creeped him out too - thus...
"Daddy need shirt."

I hop our of bed and grab my shirt that is laying on a chair by the dresser. I note that it is now 4:44 and Carter is coming back with diaper and PJ bottoms, which she throws on the bed as she goes to the bathroom.
"Ok Son." Pulling on my shirt. "Assume the position."

I quickly diaper him, put on dry PJ bottoms, and climb back into bed as Carter comes back, she sneezes.

Cue Wyatt who starts crying in his room.

Ethan oblivious to the fact that we're trying to keep him quiet so as to not wake-up Wyatt asks...
"Watch TV. Watch TV, please."

Carter growing agitated by the possibility of Wyatt waking up, as well as Ethan not going back to sleep cuts him off at the pass.
"No. It is still dark outside, you need to go back to sleep."
"Watch TV."
"Ethan. It's time to go back to sleep."
"Watch TV."

At this point, I get up out of bed figuring it is a lost cause. Might as well get up. Nearing 5am. What the hey. Then I notice that the Little Warrior is slowly winding down in the other room. Maybe, we can salvage this sleep thing. So I decide to get back into bed and see if I can't yank the Elder Boy on top of me and get him to sleep a little longer. But, before I get back into bed I look at my lovely Bride and say...
"You said you wanted to get up early to go work-out."

Until I BLOG again...Go Work-Out!