The Clock Struck Midnight: Izzy's Late Night

And Izzy did not turn into a pumpkin, or become obnoxiously giddy and impossible to endure. All a great relief to be sure.

If you know me you know that I am a stickler for Izzy's bedtime schedule (and nap times back in the day). It is an extremely rare event if Izzy is not in bed by 8:30 (earlier in the winter). I made an exception this evening since we were invited for a special dinner in the city, so special it warranted an offering of a prized bottle of Chateau La Tour 1995 which is apparently quite a wine. It was mainly wasted on me but the others did seem to appreciate it. Izzy was thrilled to be part of the evening since these were friends he has not seen in almost a year.

Dinner was served about 7 p.m. although we had arrived earlier so that the boys could play beforehand. There were several courses, all lovingly prepared with ingredients from the Union Square Market. The meal began with Fusilli lightly sauced with fresh tomatoes and I watched in amazement as the other five year old present consumed three full bowls of it. Izzy ate merely one bowl and happily consumed the rest of the courses. There were sauteed seasonal vegetables with olive oil and herbs, followed by a sprout salad, a cheese course and then dessert (ice cream and some blueberry crumble bars (made by me, post to follow). It was definitely a long meal but the kids were able to get up between courses and play.

When 8:30 rolled around, Izzy started to become quite silly and his friends joined in as they told "jokes" and laughed uproariously. They eventually settled down when they were given an Ipod to play with some video clips. They were gathered around this tiny screen which seemed to captivate them for much too long. All the while, Izzy would return to the table periodically, seeking eats. He had one full cheese tasting and then some. At about 11 or so, he wandered, bleary-eyed to the table, asking for something to eat. Our hostess graciously offered up a bowl of raspberries and he ate nearly the entire lot of them.

When the hosts' children began preparing for bed, it was a clear sign for us to go. A. was finally able to tear himself away and I insisted on a taxi, good thing because who needs to take the subway and the Path at nearly midnight, with an ultra-sleepy child. Izzy promptly fell asleep in the taxi and we arrived home at barely after midnight. We plopped him in the bed, no teeth brushing, and he slept until 10 a.m. the latest in all of his five years.

This morning, Izzy looked up in wonder and said: "We never stay out late at anybody's house for dinner. You didn't even say we had to leave when it was time to go to bed."

Turns out, late night carousing with a five year old was much more civilized than I anticipated. If given the chance, I just might consider doing it again.