Pulling a starbucks

Tonight was dinner and a movie in our house...we rented Santa Paws 2 and got Papa Johns, since it was pizza night for Abby's school.  Tonight was a different type of night, so the peas weren't making me as crazy as they usually are.

So tonight, I didn't need rush along bedtime, but sometimes I have one of those days that bedtime just can't come soon enough and THAT'S when I sometimes have to "pull a starbucks".  Little known fact about me: I worked at Starbucks for 7 years. I started there in 1998, a junior in high school and worked there until I was 6 months pregnant with Abby.  I even worked there at night during my first year teaching!  When I worked there, we weren't always the nicest to customers.  I closed a lot, especially when school was in session.  Obviously I had more awesome stuff to do afterwards so I had to get out of there ASAP!  So, on those types of nights, I would, like I now refer to it as, "pull a starbucks".  We'd get everything ready to close: machines washed, everything put away, only the necessities out.  We'd get the lobby all clean and wrap up all the outside furniture, before we actually closed.  We would still be open and obviously would do our jobs if someone came in, but to help less people come in, my favorite thing to do was dim the lights and close the blinds so it looked like we were closed. I couldn't get in trouble for this since it wasn't like I actually locked the door early.  It just gave the impression that we were closed to pass-er-byers!  It was genius.
Now, as a mom, I will sometimes use the same technique to get the kids in bed early.  Its starting to work less now that Abby can tell time, but I'm sure I still have some time left for my trick.
So to pull a starbucks, you have to start a few hours before bedtime would normally be.  No tv, no computers, only some music, preferably something quiet. Keep the shades closed.  This works best if you have darker shades and also when it's fall or winter. Then just start pushing everything up earlier.  20 minutes earlier for dinner, early bath, right into pj's, stories and into bed.  Just act natural, just like you normally would.  It's the same schedule but earlier and they are none the wiser.  It's great.  You should try it some time.  The best bedtime is an early bedtime :)
As Abby gets older, this won't work anymore, I realize.  I'll shed a tear when that happens, but until then I will do it as much as I need.  Thank Starbucks!  You not only paid for all my college expenses, party money and awesome purses; but also taught me a nifty trick for getting my kids into bed early!