Heart Check

For the last few months and at least 3x/week, Ainsley has appeared at my side of the bed between the hours of midnight and 4:00 a.m.-ish because "she can't sleep". In 4-year-old language, this means I need to come to her room and snuggle with her until her eyes close and those deeper sleep breaths start. In my confused state I always comply and usually wake up around 5:30 to stagger back to my bed for hopefully another 1/2 hour, or 45 minutes when Johnny decides to be generous and "sleep in". I will say Ainsley is not a cover-stealer, which is nice. The problem is that I had sort of gotten used to at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep when the triplets quit waking up during the night. It was nice.

It was becoming mildly frustrating. I need sleep to handle the following day well. It keeps me from turning into Not-Rational-Mommy during those inevitable moments when everyone is grappling over the Dora sunglasses. There are some other very 4-year-old and, let's face it, lots of 18-month-old issues going on at our house right now, and there are days when I am tempted to go back to work. Teaching teenagers is definitely easier than this.

But then something happens to remind me of why I am home with my little monkeys and today it was a song by Darius Rucker (known to my generation as Hootie). I stopped what I was doing and almost cried. I say almost because crying is just not something I do. Now, I realize this song has been out a few months and I am always, always woefully behind in the music scene (can't imagine why), but here's the link if you have a moment. And for even if you don't have a moment but the kids are sending you over the edge.


It Won't Be Like This For Long

I hope Ainsley comes in tonight to get me.