And the toes have it.

It came out of nowhere. How in the world did this idea pop into his head? Did I joke with him about it? How does he even know this is a possibility? Was it his older brother that filled him in? Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Basically, B came into the family room on Saturday night and declared:

"Tonight, when you check my sugar while I am sleeping...I want you to check my toes."

"Why?" My husband and I questioned in unison.

"My fingers just need a break."

And with that he whipped around and walked resolutely out of the room.

My husband and I looked at each other warily. We were sure this germ of an idea had to be planted by someone. Now don't get me wrong, I know that there are plenty people in the world that test nightly on toes. Our family was just never one of them. I think maybe we posed the possibility to J when he was younger and were met with so much resistance it became a non issue. I'm sure we abandoned the idea altogether before B was even born.

"Are we really going to check his toes?" Asks my husband

"Ummm, I think we have to." Responds me.

At 10pm that night I found B laying in the wrong direction on his full size bed, his bare foot hanging off the edge...

Above him was a hurriedly made sign that read:

So we did it. For the first time ever, we checked his toes all night long. (I do admit that I checked his finger to get an idea if the two numbers would be in the same ballpark. I suppose that is all part of a D mothers wiring. We have double check, and be sure we aren't doing anything crazy when we try something new.)

The next morning B came running into our bedroom, so excited he was going to burst.

"So???? Did you do it????"

"Do what?"

"Did you check my toes last night????"

"Yes."

"That is SO awesome!"

He started to run out of the room when I stopped him.

"Hey. Who gave you this toe idea?"

"I gave the idea to myself. I just want my fingers to get a little break. That's all."

The mother in me wonders if someone said something about the black spots that dot his fingertips.  But for now I'll try not to meddle and just do what my sweet boy asks.  He deserves to make these kinds of choices.  It is his body after all.