William said something to me tonight that was so similar to something Natalie said a year or so ago. 

William was in trouble for pouring a cup of water out if the bath.  We were trying to get him to understand it was not acceptable or funny, butt he kept laughing and smiling.  When I took him to his room, it was starting to sink in that he was in trouble and he was crying. 

After he was in his pjs, I wound up hugging him and he says to me something like:

Are you happy now?  You not make that face anymore?  I want to be good guy.  I want everyone to listen to me. 

Even though he didn't at like it at the time, I was very impressed how this showed that he did understand that we were mad and that he had been naughty. 

The reference to "good guy" is from Wreck it Ralph, by the way.

After this, I rocked him a little in a nice snuggle, and then we read five books as he sat still in my lap and got so many extra snuggles and kisses.  We talked about the books and pictures.  We even played his egg hatching game he loves. 

Though it started rough, I really felt it was an awesome bedtime.  He really communicated something complex to me and then we shared some wonderful time together (versus him being too antsy to listen to stories or me too tired or distracted to do a good job) .