Long Night

Hey, folks.

This is probably one of the busies NIGHTS we've had since the Princess came home from the hospital after she was born.

And sorry again for having a tired and not-very-coherent post. Like I said, it was a long night.

Which started with a thunderstorm at bed time. The kids played long and hard yesterday, into the evening, with the neighbors. Well past their normal bedtime they came inside to eat supper. They crashed out in front of the TV and munched through their food while the toddler went to bed.

One of the twins fell asleep on the couch, and one fell asleep in his chair. The couch kid got moved to his room and stayed asleep. The chair kid woke up as he was being moved. He lasted in his room for all of one minute with the lightning and thunder popping in the area.

He scurried to my room with tears in his eyes. Mommy, could I please sleep with you? I am soooo scared of the storm. The lightning is going to get me through my window.

So of course I couldn't refuse. Hubby still had a few things to take care of on his computer and would move the kid again when he came to bed.

4:30 am rolls around and I bolt up in bed, a nightmare freaking me out. The kid is still in bed with me. No hubby. I stumble out of the room to search for him. Find him zonked out on the couch, TV on, head cocked at a weird angle that's gonna ache when he gets up in the morning.

So I wake him up, but he sleeps so soundly, he merely shifts to a less strenuous position and drifts off.

I go back to bed. A few minutes later I hear a high pitched squeal from the toddler's room. I check on her. She reaches for me with tears glistening in the nightlight.

Okay, so I'm a huge softie when my kids are crying at night. I just can't help it. All those protective, motherly instincts kick into overdrive. I carry the toddler back to the bedroom with me. Her brother's already there, so I figure one more won't hurt.

Only now that she's been freed from her crib (baby prison), she has no interest in going back to sleep. So she tells me all the parts of my face, taking particular pleasure in inserting her fingers up my nostrils while pointing out my nose.

She's also beyond fascinated by the fact that her brother is in the bed with us and wants to mess with him. He sleeps like his Daddy, and woke up long enough to acknowledge that his sister had her fist clenched in his hair, then went back to sleep.

Then I hear it . . . the magical toilet flush.

Hubby is awake. I hop out of bed with the Princess and we hurry down the hall and scare the you-know-what out of Hubby.

"Please, just take her. I've been up for an hour," which it had been by this point, "and I just need some sleep."

He yawned. "Sure, no problem." He takes her and she giggles and cuddles with Daddy. Yay, problem solved.

"Just put her back in bed when you're tired."

He yawns again. "I'll just lay with her in the spare bedroom for a little while, until she falls asleep."

Uh-oh.

Hubby is infamous for his head hitting the pillow and falling asleep. And I wish I was exaggerating, but I'm not. It really is true.

"You should probably sit up with her, and try to get her to sleep first."

He waves me off. "Sure, sure. No problem."

I go back to bed, but can't sleep for worrying. Ten minutes later I hear thumping and thudding coming from the spare room.

I go check.

Toddler is NOT in bed.

Hubby is out cold.

I check the room.

The Princess is playing with the stopper-thingy behind the door. She grins up at me, points to the bed and says, "Daddy seep."

Daddy sleep. Yep.

"Honey."

I pick up the Princess and Hubby sits up in bed. "Yeah. What? I'm awake."

Uh-huh.

"You think we should put her in her own bed now?" I ask, wondering if she would really go to sleep.

"Yeah, I'll do it." He takes her and wanders down the hall.

"Are you coming to bed?"

Big yawn. "Yeah, sure. Bed."

"You'll have to move a boy."

"Sure, sure. No problem."

Oh, boy.

I lay down, and five minutes later hear snoring coming from down the hall in the area of the guest bedroom.

Oh, well. I finally drifted off, but it felt like one of the longest nights we've had in a long time.

And this was a really long story, so y'all get back to your day. Have a good weekend. Stay cool.

Later.