"Can we go home now?"

This is a beautiful sight. The story I am about to tell is in no way related to this picture. Well, maybe it is. Picture this, but the exact opposite.

Shortly after we had concluded the Thackeray family Christmas party we began our 45 minute journey back home. We had hoped that if we left late enough, and dressed the kids in their pajamas that something miraculous would take place and they would fall into a peaceful slumber.

Well, we were about 10 minutes from home, and they were falling into pieces. Everything they could whine about, they were whining about. Everything they could fight about, they were fighting about. The noise level in the car had reached epic proportions, and Tom and I were about to lose our minds. We had already used the whole "Santa won't visit our home if you are being naughty card" one too many times and nothing else seemed to be working. That is until Tom and I came up with a plan. Let's sing Christmas carols at the top of our tired lungs and be as jovial as they are being devious we thought. And let's continue to drive around until they are so tired they will have no choice but to fall asleep! Brilliant.

So we began, "jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!!!" "Frosty the snowman, was a jolly happy soul!" and so on and so forth. Every once in a while Savannah would join in on the singing but Benjamin would have nothing to do with it. He sat with a confused scowl on his face. "What was happening? Have I lost complete control of this car?" I could almost hear him thinking.

Then, out of nowhere a clearly frustrated little boy muttered, "Can we go home now?"

Laughter. Tom and I couldn't stop laughing! We had done it! We had finally made him feel the way he had been making us feel! It was a strange bonding moment for Tom and me. You see, parenting is such a trial and error business. You never know what's gonna work until you try it. And for that brief moment, our little experiment succeeded!!