middle of the night conversation with sarah

When I got up to feed the baby last night at 3:30 am, Sarah was mumbling something in her sleep about bugs. Oh, how cute! When I put the baby back in his crib about 3:45, Sarah was standing in the doorway of their bedroom in her white pajamas which nearly scared me to death. I put her back in bed as well. This is the (not so cute at 3:45) conversation that took place:

Sarah: What about the bug?
Me: What bug?
Sarah: The bug.
Me: What bug?
Sarah: The bug.
Me: What bug? I don't know what you're talking about.
Sarah: I think it was a mosquito. What happened to it?
Me: I got it the other day.
Sarah: You know, mom--the mosquito.
Me: I killed it. (This is my desperate answer to get her to forget about the bug and go to sleep already.)
Sarah: Oh.

At this point I tell her to go to sleep and that I'm going to go to the bathroom. This is mom code for go back to sleep in my own bed and hope that you fall asleep in your bed before you figure out what has really taken place. About ten minutes later the lamp in her room turns on. I hesitate, thinking that there is still a possibility that she will fall asleep with the lamp on. Then the bathroom light turns on. I hesitate again, knowing that she can take care of this herself, even in the middle of the night. Hearing no bathroom sounds taking place, I go to investigate and find her hiding behind the door in the bathroom. The (still not so cute at 3:55) conversation continues in the bathroom:

Sarah: Mom, you were lying.
Me: What?
Sarah: You were lying about the bug. You didn't really kill it.
Me: You're right.
Sarah: Are you kidding me?
Me: Yep. (This seems to be the best way to end the conversation.)

We shuffle off back to bed. I turn off all lights and climb in the bed next to her at which point I tell her we are going to sleep and there should be no talking.

Sarah: What about the bug?
Me: Go to sleep.
Sarah: I think I saw a grasshopper in my laundry basket.
Me: Go to sleep.

I am seriously considering going on strike for better hours at this point. Moms should be off-duty from 9:00 pm until at least 7:00 am. Should I have enjoyed this middle of the night conversation with Sarah? Probably. Did I? Not nearly as much as I should have. First thing this morning as she came to awaken me in my room, this is how the conversation went:

Sarah: Can you help me find the grasshopper in my laundry basket?
Me: (I just rolled over, put the covers over my head, and pretended to go back to sleep.)