And then there was none

I bought a new 6 person tent and an air matress last fall.  I'd been promising the kids we could use it once school was out.  So the weekend after school, we set it up.  Everybody helped--some more than others.  Then we brought out the old air matresses, sleeping bags, pillows, dolls, and more dolls.  We got ready for bed.  I planned to stay with them in the tent for 15 min or so, then stay outside the tent for 15 min or so, then come back to sleep with them at bed time.

I expected the girls to leave and C to stick around since he had camped in a tent and liked it.  M kept complaining that she was hot--and it was hot--so she went inside to sleep in the air conditioning. And then there were two.  M and E often want to sleep with C in his "forts" but it rarely works since the girls are restless and C likes to go to sleep immediately.  Again tonight, M and E's chattering and moving quickly convinced him that he wouldn't be able to sleep soon and he was out.  And then there was one.  I was outside the tent when I saw a bulge in the mesh on the side of the tent and E's head appeared.  Soon the zipper was moving around the door of the tent...and then there were none.  As E and I went upstairs, we found C sleeping on the floor at the very top of the stairs.

We tried again the next night (Sat).  This time I decided to go to bed early so I could stay with them in the tent the whole time.  Fortunately, it wasn't quite as hot as the previous night.  Again, C bailed quickly after M and E didn't settle down immediately.  I moved M on one side of me and E on the other to minimize their ability to pester each other. Then E had to go potty.  As we went inside, the sheet C had taken with him was laying by the door. I pushed it out of the way with my foot, only to discover that C was under it!  He had laid down on the floor and fallen asleep right inside the back door. I moved him out of the way of the door and E and I went back to the tent.  They eventually feel asleep and the temp cooled down quickly.  They both slept all through the night in the tent and came inside on their own in the morning.