Happily, most nights are not like last night

[radegund]

I am repeating the drastic experiment of April '09 (or was it in fact '08? I can't actually remember), and going to bed at 11pm every night this month. January had got ridiculous, and I was officially Not Coping.

NOT THAT THIS HELPED last night, when I both (a) signally failed to make my deadline, and (b) ... well. Read on.

After a lovely phone call with ailbhe, I was all ready to bed at 23:15, but just then, niallm came home (Thursday being his Evening Off). And he'd had an exceptionally interesting and varied day, all about which he proceeded to tell me.

And then it was 23:55.

So I went up to bed and read for a while, then settled down to sleep.

Then at 0:35, the Feaster went bump. (I found him sitting on the floor beside his bed, still mostly asleep.)

So I fed him all the way back to sleep, came back to my bed at around 0:55, read Niall's new poem (that's what he does of a Thursday evening), and slept until 2:30something, when the Feaster arrived in for more milk.

So then Niall went to the Feaster's bed, and we all slept until 3:30, when the Oyster woke up and got enormously distressed because I'd forgotten to bring his alarm clock upstairs last night. He screeched at Niall for a bit, then came in and began to screech at me, but I persuaded him not to because the Feaster was asleep (with his head on my shoulder, as it happened, so I couldn't get up to deal with the Oyster). So the Oyster went back to Niall, who went down and got the alarm clock, and then they had an incredibly loud conversation about why I had forgotten to bring it up. Whyyyyyy???

Meanwhile, I edged out from under the Feaster without waking him (woohoo!) and went in to comfort the Oyster, because Niall was losing his cool. And the Oyster was in total shuddering meltdown for a bit, and then began to calm down. We had some logic, then some illogic, and then just soothing noises. But he couldn't settle because of a pain in his ankle - which I suspect is what had woken him in the first place. (Growing pain? Do they actually exist? I couldn't see any damage.) So I went and got him some Calpol, and after a bit he consented to let me go back to bed.

So I got into bed without waking the Feaster again (I am NINJA-MAMA) and settled down to sleep at about 4:00.

And at 4:12 the Oyster came in to tell me that the pain in his ankle had gone. Which was lovely of him. But really.

So THEN I slept until the Feaster woke up at 6:20 for more milk, and then again until the Oyster and Niall started moving around some time before 8:00. Then endured the Feaster climbing around on my head (this is not comic exaggeration) until about 8:50, when Niall took him downstairs and I slept until 9:35 and dreamed I was on the run from the police over some vague involvement in a drug deal, and had to take care of an elderly man who was in it with me and wasn't so quick at climbing through windows and similar.

Then I had to get up because Niall was going to work.

It was a hard day. But both boys were absolutely lovely, and I barely lost my temper at all, which was kind of miraculous.

At one point, the Oyster was leading me through an improvised "choose your own adventure" game, and I realised that I simply wasn't following, and his voice was driving spikes through my brain, and so I appealed to him - said I knew he wanted me to play, and on a normal day I'd love to, but I was just too tired.

So he went away and drew me this, which is me sitting on my high-backed desk chair beside my computer monitor:



Made me feel considerably better.

As did the Feaster's contribution at lunchtime, when I put my head down on the table for a few seconds.

Feaster: You go a-seep, Mama!
Mama: *goes a-seep*
Feaster: Cock-a-gooooo!

Which about sums it up, really.

Comments

[ailbhe]

Ooh, the appeal working is lovely!

And my sister N used to get growing pains, and they were AGONY, but mainly in her shins.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor poor you. Those days are haaaaaaard. FWIW, I certainly remember random pains in my legs which I was told were growing pains.

And I love the Oyster's art. The lines are just so distinctive.

[ailbhe]

He just dashes things off with such panache and confidence, doesn't he? It's glorious.

[ellipunk.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but I really love the drawing.. it's pure class...lol..

And on a more serious note - poor you, we've all had nights like that and they suck massively. Hope you got to catch up on more sleep last night.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Poor you. Hope tonight goes much better!
Fab drawing from the Oyster.

[libellum.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds haaard. I sympathise (chronic insomnia, cats) but realise that it will all be far worse if I ever sprog. Very glad the following day was relatively okay!

I saw this recently and thought of you and the Oyster. Not sure if it's too violent for your/his tastes, but I thought you/he might enjoy it :)