worst bedtime story ever

A few years back my younger sister was visiting the boys and me. When she visits, she's totally got this "Let's get the kids on my side and gang up on mom" schtick going on, which is mostly fine. She's really just teaching them to be in-your-face radicals, of which I approve because, hey, I'm one, too. Sometimes, I feel like she's missing the point a little, though, because after all, I am actually on their side, mom or not.

So this one night, I was done with kids and ready for everybody to go to bed. I sent the boys to get ready and go to sleep. My sister pipes up, "What? No bedtime story?"

"No," I reply, "No bedtime story. Go to bed you guys."

Now they're in on it, "Awww, come on, mom. Tell us a bedtime story." She joins in, and they're all beating me down, so they think.

"Fine," I say. "Sit down. You ready? Once upon a time...Go brush your teeth."

"Awwwww! That is the worst bedtime story EVER!" my sister says emphatically. And it has stuck. Every once in a while we pull it out just for laughs. It's not in very regular rotation because it is, after all, the worst bedtime story ever.