Thursday, March 22, 2007

13 1/2

That's the number of hours Lauren slept last night. Thirteen and a half. Which is completely unheard of - she's my child who simply does not require as much sleep as I would wish. But clearly she was in need of some catching up. I wish I could do that....

Let me back up a minute. Yesterday was one of those days. Everyone was a little off, if you know what I mean. The kids annoyed me a little too readily (as did the dog, but that's normal), Nicholas was giving me some attitude and being whiney, and Lauren simply wasn't listening. The kind of day when you wonder if 2pm is too early for a stiff cocktail.

Late afternoon rolls around. I'd taken the kids to play at the mall and even treated them to Orange Julius. We'd gone to the library for some movies. I really did try to be a good mom and keep them occupied and entertained. And yet... Lauren got home and the shit hit the fan. Over the most innoculous thing ever, but I think it's was just a trigger vs. a real issue. It could have been anything that would have set her off. She was primed. (the trigger? An OLD pair of footed pajamas she's long outgrown that I had cut the feet out of to extend their life she loved them so much. But even then, they were simply too small so I'd put them up in her closet. She hasn't seen them in months, but for some reason they caught her eye yesterday and she rigged her chair/stool so she could get them down and then had a shit-fit about them. She wasn't upset that these precious pj's had been kept from her - no - she was pissed that I had cut the feet off A YEAR AGO. Totally irrational on her part, but again - this was just the trigger.)

So what does any crazed and over-the-top 3 year old do when in such a state? Why, throw a full-blown, dresser-clearing, hysterical tantrum of course! Turn your entire room inside out! And scream and cry the entire time! THAT will make you feel much better about the situation. And then, when you've finally run out of steam, curl up in your bed and fall instantly asleep from sheer exhaustion. Fully clothed, having eaten no dinner, brushed your teeth or used the potty for good measure.

I checked on her when the screaming and crying had ceased and found her asleep in her bed. It was about 5:15pm. Bedtime isn't normally until 7:30pm. I didn't know if this was going to be just a nap or if she was out for the count. Lauren and naps don't mix well and even the shortest 10 min snooze in the car will extend bedtime. And so I debated: do I try and wake her and give her dinner, etc., or do I let her go on sleeping? You'd think by now I would know better, but I tried to wake her. Big mistake. She was still angry and tantrum-y, even in her sleep. But I was able to wrangle her out of her jeans at least and plopped her on the potty (oh - the indignity! She was like a hell-cat for being forced to sit on the potty when she didn't want to. And I could tell she was even more upset when she actually DID pee, clearly against her will, like her body betrayed her.) I then just held her, laid down in her bed with her, and she went back to sleep in record time. And STAYED asleep until the oh-so-late hour of 11:41pm when she woke up and climbed into bed with us. For her it was the middle of the night, but for me, it was disturbing newly found sleep. But she must have forgiven me the travesty of having mutilated her pj's and wanted the comfort of Mama. And so I gave it. Happily. Even though it means I sleep worse, I was happy to have Lauren snuggled up with me in bed, throwing arms and legs and all.

Because who can stay frustrated at a sleeping angel? No me. Especially when she sleeps for 13 1/2 hours.

Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home
Free Counters
Hit Counters

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?