They're baa-aaack

School started back up for us today.  I am relieved, because any more time would've just been too much.   "I'm bored." "Can I go to ___'s house?"  "Can ____come here?" "I'm hungry.  What's for dinner?" (fifteen minutes after the last snack...) 

No, back to the routine will do me just fine.  I am hoping that the return to early rising/early bed will get them all back on track.  I always try to maintain the same sleep schedule on breaks, and it never lasts more than a day.  Hey, that's what breaks are for, right?

But that time after they are down for the night is my time.  And when my time gets reduced, and I wind up knocking out too, then I get cranky.  No one likes me when I'm cranky.

This crankiness has been compounded with um, frustration, because Nolan has had some insomnia over these last couple of weeks.  And it's been interfering with my nocturnal activities ;) which makes me well, super cranky.  Don't start with the 'lock your door' speech, I have kids, and cats, and a dog in my room, so it's not quite the option it could be.  There are other rooms in the house, and as there are four young'uns running around, we've obviously used them.

However, when you have a wandering 11 year old that "just can't seem to get to sleep," even the garage starts looking good.  Nothing can kill a moment faster than the sound of footsteps in the hall...than the sight of a back scurrying away in the darkness.  "Do you think he saw anything?"  I whisper into the darkness.  "No," Mr W (always) replies.  "Yeah, sure, you're gonna say anything at this point, you horny bastard.  You mean, he didn't see anything--anything that'll scar him for life."  One of us will check it out... "What are you doing, wandering around?  I thought you were sleeping.." be patient, be calm..."I just can't get to sleep." Out comes an exasperated sigh from me. "Look, it's late.  You need to stay in bed.  We're not going anywhere."  "But.." "No buts.  GO to sleep."  Padding back to the scene of the crime, I know he's gonna get up again.  So we decide to have a little break in the action, and wait for him to fall asleep...and then wake up to the sound of one of us snoring.  "Well?" "I'm tired." "Fine.  Night."  Pad back down the hall, silently vowing to barge in on future love interests and which-ever-kid-caused-the-end-in-the-festivities when they are alone.  Vow to wake them up early in the morning, run them all around town, tiring them out, so that they will go to bed early the next night, praying that neither of us knocks out too. 

I swear, we spent half our youth dodging my little brother and our parents, you think we'd get a break now.  It's to the point that I've become 'little miss direct':  "Look, man, is this gonna happen or not?  I've gotta get up early, and if this show -that you've seen already and that we own- is more riveting than getting some, well, good night." "You can have your 15 minutes of fame, or I'm outta here."  "Don't waste any time..they're sleeping, and I have no idea how long it's gonna last. Get over here." "Yes or no?  Tell me now." (gotta block the tv for that one, lol)

I have a date circled in my mind.  It's the day that my youngest will be in school all day, the day when all of them are gone...all day.  As soon as I have an actual date, I am making Mr W take the day off of work, so we can get reacquainted properly, without any interruptions. 

Of course, this will probably be the day that someone gets sick at school and we'll need to go pick 'em up.

But I can dream, can't I?