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Why Mom’s Can’t Sleep

It's a holiday today. As a homeschool mom, I'll be sure to remind my kids why they don't have school today and to pray for those families whose members are serving or have served in our armed forces. And I'm not making light of what today is. But holidays mean something around here.

I have six kids at home. Count them…six. (I have a college student but he lives on his own, so he doesn't count in this post.)

Six kids means that I can have six different places to be on any given day. It means, everyday, I have four public school schedules to keep to at three different schools, plus working homeschooling around my youngest. Whew! It makes me dizzy thinking about it. Add in doctor appointments, counseling appointments, sports, activities, etc…and I am one tired mom!

Which brings me back to a holiday. It means I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to take anyone to school! Don't get me wrong; I love getting up at the crack of dawn and making breakfast for my kids and having that special time in the morning. But I'm getting older and tired.

So back to that holiday anyway! Last night, hubby made the littlest ones promise not to wake up anyone…at all…this morning. (I did tell him that he should realize that is a promise they won't be able to keep. The Princess can't stand being alone, quiet, for anything and Chicken Noodle Butt will find something to cry over.)

I also have this problem. Once I'm awake, that's it for me. I can not go back to sleep. It's the same for me at night, too. Wake me up, I'm up.

A friend asked the other day how can she be so tired and yet not fall asleep. I replied that it's the brain. It finally has time to function, so it goes into full mode. Mom's go to bed wondering if they've accomplished everything they should have during that day and wondering how they can get the everything accomplished the next! Unfortunately, God forgot to give us a turn off switch for our brains.

So this morning, it's a holiday. I don't have to be anywhere. I get to sleep in, right?

At 6:47, the little one goes into the bathroom. He's talking as loud as he can about counting and the fact that something is yellow. I pretend I don't hear him, but he starts to get louder. I finally just say, "Shhh!" He stops, and it becomes quiet again.

Next thing I know, my phone goes off. Now, I know that I turned off the alarm, so this means it's a person. It's 7:03 and my sister-in-law wants to know if I want to go to the parade today. I tell her I'm asleep and ask when and where. She says she was asleep, too, but mom woke her up so she's texting me with one eye open. I consider the parade.

"The little ones might like it. That means I'll have to wake the older kids up. That means I'll have to get up soon and make breakfast. Oh wait, we're all supposed to be sleeping in until whenever we want today. We do need sleep. But hold on. Chicken Noodle Butt needs pants and it's supposed to get cold tomorrow. I'm supposed to find time to get him pants today…and it needs to be cheap. Penneys might be having a sale since it's a holiday, or I can take him to Savers. It sure would be nice if hubby had a job. If I take them to the parade the Drama Queen will be walking around a lot on that broken growth plate. She'll probably like that but we really should keep her off of her feet. Oh, that's why I promised her we'd paint today. Oh man, that means a mess…I wonder if I can con Chicken Noodle Butt into doing something else. I could give him a puzzle. Maybe I we could all work on a puzzle together. Oh wait, I need to call the ortho doctor and find out where his leg braces are. Today's the eleventh and they told me to call today if I didn't hear from them. Speaking of doctor visits, I need to make them a dental appointment, too. I wonder when I can get them in. Speaking of teeth, maybe I should make a good breakfast today. I could make biscuits and gravy. That sounds really good, but it will have to be for a late lunch/early dinner because I need to thaw out the sausage. I'll have to look up a recipe for gluten free biscuits for the Smart One, and I'll need take out part of the sausage to make the Drama Queen dairy free gravy. That reminds me, I still haven't replaced the broken skillet, but I think I can manage with the pot. Giggle…I better make sure the Drama Queen doesn't touch it otherwise she might break another toe. Speaking of gluten free recipes, I need to find one that doesn't have eggs so I can still make stuffing this year for Thanksgiving. Did someone let the dogs out? I hope they gave them water. Oh man, they need a bath today. I wonder if the kids can handle their baths by themselves. Roxy is a pain to bathe. We really should have named her Marley; dumb dog."

About this time, I realize the toilet is running, so I get up to go jiggle the handle. Chicken Noodle Butt starts crying about something, so I head over to find out what is wrong with him. Hubby comes upstairs to take over and let me sleep. Yeah, ok. I head back to my room and lie down. I text sister-in-law to tell her the plan for today was for everyone to sleep in as late as they want. She laughs; I laugh.

I try to go back to sleep.

"I wonder what to get the Good Looking One for his birthday. Poor boy has to work on his birthday. It really would be cool if we could all show up with a cake and sing to him at work. I wonder if he'd get fired if we did that? Maybe if hubby is working we can take him out to lunch. It will probably be pretty crowded though since it's black friday. Oh, I hate going out on black friday…who does that anyway? It was fun though, last year, when he took us out in the middle of the night. Boy, was it cold. That reminds me, what are we going to do for the Smart One's birthday. I can't believe he's almost 12. He'll be hitting puberty soon, that will be fun. I wonder if the Good Looking One will teach him how to shave, too. The Talented One loved that! Christmas is coming soon. What will we do? What do you get a 22 year old? The little ones are easy; legos and barbies will make them happy.And they do seem happy a little don't they? I wonder if we'll end up adopting them. Where will we put them? I wonder if I can get a good job and just have all of my salary go into adding some rooms on the house? Then we'd all fit. Speaking of fitting, I can't believe the Talented One and the Smart One are graduating college and high school the same year. Can we really throw a big party for the graduations and the 18th birthday all at once? It could be like a family reunion! That's be great. Where would we hold it?"

8:25, I get another text message. This time from Punky, asking me to bring the choir book so she can make copies. "It sure would have been great to skip activities tonight, too." I text her back ok.

I write this blog.

It's now 8:46 am. Hubby thinks I'm sleeping. I think I'll go make some coffee and cuddle with him.

No, no parade today. It's quiet in the house for now and somehow, that seems a much better way to spend my morning.

More Drama

I was telling my friend, Punky, the other day about how much the Drama Queen is really full of drama! She's been that way since I found out I was pregnant with her. To date, here is her drama:

Almost miscarried; then found out I had placenta previa.

Made it through that to have a not so fun delivery.

Sick baby; for months. Finally found out it was food allergies.

She's had many anaphylactic episodes. None of them fun. Obviously.

She tried to chop off two of her toes. Once she was all stitched up and I threw away my white overalls (somehow I didn't think the blood stains would come off!), we took her home where we were told she'd probably not walk for a few days. I laughed. She was running in the backyard and climbing her Mulberry tree the minute we got home!

She swallowed a penny. Insisted it was stuck. Vitals were good, but let's do an x-ray anyway; oh…it's stuck in her throat, let's take her by ambulance to the children's hospital for surgery. After surgery, we're told she won't be able to eat anything for a few days. I laugh. She insists we get her breakfast on the way home as she's starved.

She splits her head open. BAD! CT scan comes out good, so we head home with 17 staples. We're told she'll probably sleep all day. I laugh. We're told to keep her down for the next 48 hours. I laugh again…this time from hysteria.

She drops a Plexiglas drum container on her foot. It probably weighs a couple hundred pounds. She stops crying, but I take her to urgent care anyway. It seems like she's ok….but, she has her mama's high tolerance for pain. The doc takes an x-ray because I insist that it really could have hurt her. Then she sends us on our way, stating that there is no way it is broke because she can move it. Ok. Then she calls us back. The growth plate is indeed broken; doc is shocked. I laugh. She gives us a special shoe:

Shoe 

And tell us to keep her off her foot. We laugh. We go home and decorate the shoe. We also decorate the next three that she goes through. One each week that she manages to destroy. Finally, I just stick her back in her sneakers. Oh…and she loves to gross adults out by showing them which toes is broken…as she moves it. NOOOO!

We've managed to keep her pretty safe for over a year now…almost two!

And then, I made the mistake of asking her to put the dishes away. Simple really, right? Until I hear that scream. You know the one; the one that says someone is hurt? Yeah, that one.

I came around the corner to see a magic blade knife on the counter. I can't see anything but the Drama Queen's head. I say a quick prayer, "Please, Lord, don't let it be blood. I can't handle stitches or staples today."

It turned out it was the stainless steel, copper bottom pot that fell out of her hand and onto….

Yup, the same toe! I wait for a little bit, even though I see it bruising already. Then, hubby and I discuss the situation.

"Well, there was the penny that no one wanted to believe was really stuck. And there was the toe that couldn't possibly be broken."

I call the foot doctor and explain the situation. He says bring her in. Just to be safe. Sure, ok.

The result?

IMG_1964
  Not only did she manage to fracture her toe again…but the same exact growth plate…again. Yes, she has now twice broken the same growth plate.

Apparently its not good to keep breaking the same growth plate.

Apparently she needs to not move it. (insert hysterical laughter)

Apparently the young-looking foot doctor has met enough of my family now to take me serious when I say she'll break those wooden shoes. (She takes after me; the one who fractured her foot big time and still has no idea how it happened!)

Apparently he's smarter than us; because he gave her a boot to decorate.

One that he insists she can not tear apart. Or break. Or destroy.

Oh, and apparently she's not allowed to climb trees for three or more weeks. And apparently she can't dance.

Which set off more drama…because there are only a couple of things that she requires for her happiness…her mulberry tree and her dancing. So much so, that tonight as I discussed her foot with her dance teacher on Sundays, she suggested letting her sit on the edge of the stage and at least do the hand motions.

But then, we had an *ah ha!* moment. And we remembered that it was the Drama Queen we are talking about. And we had to agree with the doc. No dance. Cause she'll be up on that stage unable to contain her merry self…and jumping around on that toe…and doing some serious harm (again) to that growth plate that just wants to be left alone.

Yea, I'm thinking maybe stitches would have been better. The healing time is shorter.

My boys

Goodness! They're growing up so much! I'm kind of emotional tonight; I get that way sometimes. But my boys are making me proud. (My girls, too, but I write about them a lot already! ha ha)

So let me share.

The Smart One

For his first year in public school, he's doing great. He makes me laugh. He is so not a morning person, yet once he's up and at school, he tries do hard. His only disappointment so far is that for the first quarter he got all A's…and one B. Not cool in his book. But I'm still proud of him! He's all about extra credit (just like B-boo) and he's learning to take intiative and get stuff done and do it well! He's testing for 2nd degree red belt in karate this weekend. That's only two away from black belt! Anyway, he makes a mama proud!

The Talented One

Last year was such a struggle for him; school, life, everything. He has re-focused and is working so hard. He pulled all A's and B's this quarter (one C)…HUGE, HUGE, thank you. I told him he was gonna make me cry. Saturday, we had some…issues with the little ones, and he just stepped right up and said, "Don't worry, Mom, I got this one." And he did an amazing job with her. Really. He is so incredibly musically talented, yet he tends to keep it to himself. Sunday, he agreed to play the intro's for our Children's Christmas musical. I can't even tell you what that means to his mama…makes me wanna cry again! Then, today, he just walked right over and took out the trash without me even asking. I'm telling you, I don't know how much more my emotions can take! I'm going to become a dribbling mess!

The Good-Looking One

I miss him. I miss him coming in at night after all are in bed and plopping himself across my bed to chat for a bit about his day. But I'm proud. He's working so hard. He maintains a good full-time job, attends college full-time, is part of a fraternity, does community service, manages to spend time with his family, and is now running for Senate of his college at the university! I just beamed when I saw his Face Book page. My boy, really a man, all in his suit and tie and looking so handsome. And then I almost cried again when he talked of his family. Goodness, after all the trauma we've caused the poor boy as our first guinea pig child, I guess we did something right, because he's turned out to be quite the young man! (Anybody have any ideas on what to get a 22 year old for his birthday?)

Yup, those are my boys. I think I'll keep them.

Sleepwalking…Sleeptalking!

Last night as I tucked in B-Boo, the princess started talking.

"You have to put five in the door."

I started to laugh and said, "What?"

"You have to put five in the door."

I lovingly told her she was asleep and to lie back down. She did, and was out. B-boo and I cracked up.

Sleepwalking/Sleeptalking is a genetic thing, I think. It does run in our family. Some examples:

I was eight month pregnant with B-boo. At 3:30 in the morning one day, hubby rips the covers off of me, straddles my huge belly and tells me not to move. Do you have any idea what that can do to a hugely pregnant woman? I proceed to lie there in sheer terror as he picks something from my hair and smushes it. It then dawns on me that he's asleep and I am fine. Or at least, I was, until now.

I told him, "You're asleep, lie down." He did. I didn't.

Another time, he actually sat up in the middle of the night and started speaking in spanish. We don't speak the language in our home. Ever. He can, but it just doesn't happen.

And yet another time, he sat up in the middle of the night and started moving his hands around, explaining to me how to make whatever it was he was making. And he was really into it, too.

Again, I told him, "You're asleep, lie down." And he did. 

He's not the only one that does weird things in his sleep. One time I heard the Drama Queen going potty…but she stayed in there a really long time. Long enough for me to wake up and go check on her. I walked into the bathroom to find her hanging over the tub, with her clothes on the floor! Yes, the bathtub was sterilized the next morning!

I can usually tell when she is asleep; she has this glazed over look in her eyes. She has talked in her sleep so much I couldn't even post it here! When I'm in a really goofy mood, I'll actually carry on a conversation with her until I tire of the game and tell her to lie down, cause she's asleep.

But my all time favorite sleep story involves a certain young child who shall remain nameless. This child does amazing things in his sleep! He actually punched someone in the face once! Anyway, one afternoon we were coming home from lunch and had pizza stored in a box. He wanted a slice, so we told him we when we got home we'd give him some. But he fell asleep, so we carried him to his bed and put the box of pizza in the refrigerator.

Later that day, we were all sitting at the kitchen counter talking. The boy gets up and walks into the kitchen. He opens the refrigerator door, steps inside, and opens the lid to the pizza box. We all look at each other and giggle thinking he must have really wanted that pizza.

Until we hear a noise.

Like water running from a faucet.

(Some of you know where I'm going with this, don't you?)

Apparently the refrigerator door was the bathroom door.

And the pizza box was the toilet.

And my refrigerator was the bathroom.

Which was quickly emptied and sterilized as the boy was put back to bed.

Yeah, we have sleeptalkers…and sleep walkers.

Living the Dream

Do you ever look at your life and think, "I really had no idea I'd someday be living this life?"

How can we know, really, what we'll be doing? I look at my kids today, and I wonder how they'll turn out. I remember when my oldest was 8, he wanted to be a Forest Ranger. From there he wanted to be an Air Force pilot. Then he turned to Civil Engineer, and finally, he's nearing a degree in hospitality. He wants to manage a resort somewhere in the boon dogs. So, it's not quite a Forest Ranger, but close to his heart, still, because he loves being in the outdoors away from it all.

I wonder how my next son will turn out. He's got so much talent in him. And a heart for others. I remember when he was little, he would go up to strangers and ask them if they knew Jesus. There's so much out there for him, it will be interesting to see where it goes.

There's B-boo. From the time she was itty bitty, she made her own fashion statement! We laugh at her whenever she wears matching socks because she just doesn't normally. Things have changed for her so much in the past two years. She has a new passion for Forensics (and not the debating kind)…yuck. We laugh and tease her that she'll be the best dressed forensic scientist that there is! She's the one that seems to have it all planned out; it will be interesting to see what happens!

Next, there is the Smart One. The boy thinks too much. He can figure things out in his head. He loves to just sit and think things up; figure things out. I remember when he was four, we were working on our house. Hubby was trying to pop up tiles and having a hard time getting to them. The Smart One just watched him for a bit, and then said to Dad, "If you turn it around and move over here, you'll get them out easier." Dad did; and it worked. He was amazed at the common sense in such a young child. His fine motor skills are amazing. He can make the tiniest origami things I've ever seen! He says he wants to invent something. He loves math and science; and drafting. I wonder what he'll end up coming up with!

Then there's the Drama Queen. I wonder how long it will take her to figure something out! She has a passion to try out everything in life! She loves, loves, loves to sing! And to dance. And she talks of becoming a doctor. And she wants lots and lots of children. And she'll probably try to do it all!

My son once asked me if I was doing what I wanted with my life. I told him that even as a little girl, I always wanted a big family with 8 kids and a home to go with it. I don't have 8 children, but we're certainly close to it!

I had no idea I'd learn to cook around food allergies, research endometriosis, restless leg syndrome, Celiac disease and Reactive Attachment Disorder; become a nurse, doctor, vet, home school mom, chauffeur, foster aunt and much, much more!

I had no idea of the pain I'd feel when they hurt or the joy I'd feel when they smile.

Of the skip in my heart when I see hubby, even after years of marriage.

Hubby and I were talking last night about where we are. Sometimes we look around and think, "I didn't see it happening like this." We may not have fancy cars and a room for each kid, but God has definitely filled our dreams. We have the big family; the foster children, the loving home; wonderful children, great friends; joy. He's given us all we've needed and more. And that's what I look forward to for my children.