Who needs TV?

Here's an attempted recreation of the scene before bedtime last night:

Scene: Kids' bedtime, mom tired and ready to end the day and pushing the kids to brush and change and go to sleep already. Vir is all changed up and fooling around on the bed while I'm trying to get Tara to change.

Me: Tara, lie down please...you need to wear your pyjama.

Tara: (wisely, while holding up her PJs) Panjana

Me: That's right Tara...that's your pyjama. Can you wear it please? Lie down!

Tara: Shakes head very decisively as she always does and refuses to give me the PJs

Me: You want to wear it yourself (little miss "too" independent)

Tara: Already putting her legs in and having a go at the PJs. After a few tries, she manages to get it on up to her knees.

Me: Okay Tara, lie down please so I can pull it up.

Tara: Shakes head decisively again.

Me: Now what?

Tara: Pats bed a few times that she wants to wear her PJs sitting down (She's fiercely independent but not currently capable of thinking through her decisions.)

Me: (Okay, let me explain this calmly. Arguing with Tara doesn't help. And ordering certainly doesn't.) But Tara, if you're sitting down, how will the pyjama go up your bottoms? See...it'll get stuck right here...

Tara: Pats bed again stubbornly (I already told you how I want to do this, right mom?)

Me: Okay - try it. 

Tara: Tries it. Doesn't work. 

Vir: (jumping into action) Mamma...I can teach her how to do this! But I'll have to take my pyjama off to show her. 

Me: Watching in dismay as the one kid who was actually ready for bed swiftly undresses and joins the party.

Vir: (super cutely demonstrating how a pyjama is worn while Tara looks on like everything depends on this) Look Tara....first you have to hold the pyjama like this, then you have to look for the tag and make sure it's at the back, then you have to put your legs in. Now you have to stand up and pull from the front and pull from behind. (It works! Vir's pyjama is back on and Tara looks like he may have a point after all. She may be stubborn but you can't really argue with such strong visual proof. I can almost see her considering trying this radical new way of wearing pyjamas.)

Tara: does exactly as instructed by her PJ teacher cheered on very enthusiastically at every step by the said teacher and a mother who is seeing light at the end of the long bedtime prep tunnel. And will you believe it, she does it! The PJs are where they should be, Vir is ecstatic at having imparted wisdom, Tara is happy that she didn't have to ask for help, and I can't help laughing out loud at my comical kids and my uniquely comical bedtime routine!