Who Needs Sleep?

Besides being a title of a BNL song, this has been a long-standing personal motto. I have always been able to function on little sleep, and usually without the aid of a nap. (PS - BNL has a kids CD - pictured at right)

This is a trait that friends would marvel at during summers and/or planning weekends at Airy. This is a trait that has come in handy as a dad whose daughter tends to get up early in the morning.

Today I write to admit that I have met my match - it is the multi-headed monster known as "Thanksgiving-in-New Jersey-followed-by-an-overtime-Ravens-game-on-Sunday-night."

We always have a great time in New Jersey, but sleeping arrangements are always an issue. The issue ... is Lilly. With the exceptions of her bed at home and her beds at the grandparents' houses, sleepovers are challenging. When sharing a bed is needed, Lilly wiggles, and squirms, and grunts, and kicks. So, her 7th grade cousin is less-than-thrilled at the thought of sharing her bed ... but it worked for Thursday. I hunkered down with Pam in our nephew's room ... and his flannel sheets. Pam loved it - I sweat.

The next night, there was an extra bed, as Pam's folks left before dinner time. Well, by the time that the nephew reclaimed his room, and Lilly and Pam took the niece's room, and the niece took the guest room, I was ... off to the basement. I converted the futon, found some sheets and blankets, and laid my weary head to rest a few minutes after midnight. The cold, dark basement was just what the doctor ordered after the flannel-fest from the night before.

At 6:30 am, there was a tap on my shoulder. "Hi Daddy." Hello, Lilly. Sleep terminated.

By the time we got into out own beds at home on Saturday night, my back ached from the two strange beds from Thursday and Friday. I tossed and turned a bit that night, but I stole back a few minutes with a catnap on Sunday afternoon. The nap had a purpose - I expected to be awake until 11:30 while watching the Ravens game.

With a sigh of relief and a stomach ache, I laid down for bed at 12:30 am, following the Ravens 20-17 overtime win. My alarm went off promptly at 5:00 am. Destination - Thurmont.

I was dragging today. I must have been the only person at school today who was in a thick enough mental fog to have no clue that students were dismissed two-hours-early today. Imagine my surprise when the lunch shifts started at 9:42 am.

Off to bed.