From the desk of 3dub - inopportune clumsiness

I find that my Dad puts me to bed with the same grace and skill that Barack Obama bowls. Barack's Bowling Abilities

Being the smaller sister, I can't quite put myself to sleep yet so that job falls to my loving parents. When it is Daddy's turn, he seems to do a perfectly fine job of getting me to sleep with the rocking and the bouncing but then he tries to put me in the crib. One of four things is bound to happen at this point:

a) he will sneeze and my eyes will pop open (he takes a deep breath and goes back to bouncing and rocking)

b) he will hit his elbow on the crib (or my head on the mobile)...my eyes pop open and he takes a deep breath and goes back to bouncing and rocking

c) his hand will slip just before I'm completely down (my eyes pop open and he takes a deep breath and goes back to bouncing and rocking)

d) he won't even get anywhere near the crib before kicking my chair, causing the toys on the chair to rattle. This event will have two serious consequences. One: my eyes will pop open. But the second (and I contend, more dire effect of this action): my sisters eyes will pop open. At this point, Daddy becomes a very religious person with a lot of talk about Jesus Christ and people doing things for God's sake. This is followed by much muttering and head shaking.

When these 'rare' events occur, Daddy will begin pleading with us to go to sleep; telling us how exhausted he is (even though it is 7:45pm). At this point, Daddy will usually bump the chair again ("for good measure"). Mommy will enter the room shortly after this and politely ask Daddy not to use "those words" around us.

I suspect Daddy is getting older and clumsier with each passing day.