An Epic Battle...A Veritable Clash of the Titans, the Likes of Which We Witness Once, Maybe Twice in a Generation...

I'm referring to the monumental struggle transpiring in the boys' bedroom. Not a battle borne over sibling rivalry, or mutual interest in a toy.

No, this is a war of the iron-clad wills...between Kian and Laura.

DING DING DING...LET'S GET READY TO RUMMMMBLLLLLLLE!!!

Here's the backstory: the past week or so, Kian's been waking up through the night again. Waking up, and refusing to go back to his bed without ardent vocal protest in the form of yelling and the most shrill scream I've ever heard emitted from the mouth of a child. He accompanies these outbursts with hair and cheek clutching that could outgrasp a set of vice grip pliers. The only consolation is to just let him lay in bed with us, at which time he tosses and turns like he's sleeping in a coin-operated laundromat dryer. Laura, of course, bears the brunt of this, because his protests escalate when I try to get involved. I try, for the sake of the house, to keep that to a minimum, but last night and this morning, it's reached a stand-off.

Laura's fed up with the antics; so, tonight, when she went to lay him down and he started in with the routine, she just pulled up the rail on his crib, sat on the floor, and flatly refused to pick him up or do anything but let him cry it out in his crib.

Now, I'm not sitting her cruelly letting her absorb his anger and screams as I tell all the Internets about it...I've offered to sit in there and let her go lay with Jackson in our bed (who, I went and rescued from the madness about 10 minutes into it), but she said she's OK for now. When she throws in the towel, I'll gladly relieve her.

Thing is, I've known her longer than I've known Kian. I know the extent to which she's willing to go to win this. And, she's got the household bookie's odds STRONGLY in her favor.

(K)