Permission. Not Granted

Megan has been planning a "Late Night" with several of her girlfriends before school starts. She has carefully been planning the day and time, the girls to invite and the activities to do. I the mother, have approved each step along the way.

Saturday afternoon, Mike and I left Megan and Ellie home while we ran an errand...

Saturday evening Mike and I were both very tired. We had been up until 1am the previous night, yet got Luke out the door at 5:55am. Mike had just been diagnosed with Strep throat. You get the picture. It was a lazy Saturday evening and we were anxious to get the little ones in bed by 8pm...

While laying on the couch, I heard a knock at the door. I was greeted by my next-door neighbor who was asking if the 'Late Night' for Kinzie and Ellie was still happening at 8 o'clock.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Mike has strep throat, our kids our going to bed soon... In fact, Ellie is getting her pajamas on as we speak." I confusingly explained.

Eric, with a smirk on his face, proceeded to tell me that Kinzie had received a homemade invitation from Ellie. Kindly, Eric invited Ellie to come over to their house instead and watch part of a movie with Kinzie for a while. Great, fine by me. I'll postpone bedtime just a bit so that Kinzie is not disappointed.

I'm not quite sure how the rest of the evenings events followed. I was too dazed, too confused, too embarassed of my parenting skills (or lack of...)

I do remember as I turned into our cul-de-sac at 8:04pm from picking up take-out curry for Mike and me, I see a neighbor leaving my driveway. She has a daughter, that Ellie is friends with...

As I saw her, and stopped my car to talk to her. My worst suspicions began to come true.
My neighbor's first comment was along the lines of, "I was going to call you, because the invitation didn't look quite as perfect as the ones you usually make."

Her daughter had received a homemade invitation made by Ellie. I obviously didn't see the invitation, but it read something like,
'SeeSee' Late Night 800 Ellie.
Ellie spelled her friend's name Cecy, by herself. When questioned she told me, "I know how to spell see, Mom so I wrote S-E-E-S-E-E." Ellie was smart enough to copy Megan's invitation to get the spelling of "Late Night." And I guess 800 sounded good to Ellie.

Megan's 'punishment' for not watching Ellie closely while babysitting her? Entertaining 3 little girls for 40 minutes for a 'Late Night."

My punishment for not paying attention to where Ellie went on her 'little walk' with Kinzie's big sister and cousin? Nobody in bed before 9:45pm!!!

At least Ellie didn't pick 1100.