THE END

I have run out of room. My blog is finished.
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Friday, August 01, 2008

ZZZzzzz

When I was a teenager I was really busy and thought I didn't get enough sleep (pause to let everyone laugh at me)
The truth was I could sleep as much as I wanted. Sure there was seminary,school and homework and a job and dates but come on. Teens and sleep are good friends. Having mothered teens I see how it is with different eyes. They stay up SUPER LATE, sleep all day and then complain about lack of sleep. If I wake J up before noon she is indignant. Sometimes I let her sleep, sometimes we have things to do. During the school year especially the girls really do start running on low in the sleep department. Early morning seminary~ while a HUGE blessing and a wonderful thing is early in the morning and hard to get to. And honors homework takes forever. Knowing this I lean toward the indulgent side in the good ol summertime.
while being mindful of godly council:
cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.” (D&C 88:124.)
which, true confession time, we struggle with a bit in this house. We have some night owls in the family and with the invention of electricity it's made it exceedingly easy to stay up too late.

add that to the mental list of things to feel guilty about.

back to the point: what I actually meant to say and got distracted in the preamble is that this summer I am able to sleep. For the first time.
When Dani was a baby she never slept and always cried. It was a nightmare. I was so tired. I was exhausted. I thought I'd never think straight again (the juries still out on that one). One time I was sooo tired that I put her in her car seat and forgot to buckle it to the seat, completely forgot (this was before the invented the cool stay in the car bases they have now). We stopped at a stop sign and she went sliding forward into my seat. Oh I felt soo awful. She was fine, luckily we were in a residential area and going slowly, but I was shocked and cried and thought I should never drive with her in the car and risk her little life.
Slowly things got better but with babies and nighttime nursing and being blessed with kids who didn't sleep through the night for the longest time I was chronically tired. Only moms and medical students know this kind of tired.
They were also chickens, waking at the crack of dawn. Some still are.
This summer though they are sleeping in a bit, probably because bed time has slid to the right several hours and swimming wears them out. Sometimes they don't wake up until 7:30 or 8:30am. This is shocking for me. And when they do wake up they come lay in bed and turn on Dora instead of being instantly hungry. SHHHhh don't tell anyone but there have been days when we don't get started until 9. I know, it's so indulgent it's probably a sin.

This morning, for the first time ever, I felt sorry for DH (about having to get up). His alarm went off at 6ish and I knew he was tired and has been getting up early for work, and I felt bad. Poor guy. He's one of the night owls and has a hard time getting to sleep early and waking up early is always hard for him. During the school year we're normally up before him and historically he's been a "selfish sleeper :)" Who gets up in the night with babies? Me. Who gets up early with kids? Me. Who has to wake up and take kids back to their beds? Me. Who complains about it? Him. Who takes the Sunday afternoon nap? Usually him. Has this been a problem? Not really. I have been mad from time to time but usually it's been okay. I knew my day would come and this summer it is here. I am sleeping. All night (often) and in the morning long enough to feel guilty about it.

We have three weeks of summer left. about. And before that we'll have to switch to our normal schedules but it's been nice this season of sleeping.

4 comments:

Yvonne said...

You deserve to get that sleep now--enjoy each and every moment.

LOL about the sleep habits of teenagers.

Isn't it wonderful to not HAVE to get up! Allan is not a nightowl, but is an early riser. But now that he is "retired" he hasn't been getting up quite so early--and i have to admit I've been sleeping later and later.

lera said...

My children are wanting to stay up later because it's summer and they can sleep in. They don't realize that mama needs some "down time" between their bedtime and hers. I have to admit that I usually get up with most of my kids, which is rare (as they are all good sleepers). But, if it's a barfy kid, it's my husband who gets up. No sense having two barfy people in one room (me and the child). Although he does sleep in later than me most mornings and will nap any chance he gets on weekends. Not me, though.

This going-back-to-school thing is going to be rough on the kids I think. (I can't wait to get my evenings back.)

Alison said...

Don't feel bad about sleeping in. Carson usually wakes up around 6:30 or 7. I put in a movie and go back to bed. Usually I get another hour. Summer is great!

marcia@joyismygoal said...

Ah sleep ---I get to bid it farewell for a while too though most of the summer I have been up by 5:40 and on the days I am not up then, it is 7 but I am soooooo not complaining if I can get 6 hours I think i have been richly blessed-- but those life steps are rushing upon you w/ no more 'babies' coming:( :)