Dad occasionally told me to count sheep when I was young and couldn't fall asleep. I would visualize the fluffy white animals leaping over a wood fence. I generally doze off easily--thank God--but even if I don't, counting sheep isn't really in my repertoire.
But here it is 9:57 p.m. on a Tuesday night, and Punchy keeps calling down to me from her bed. She had hip hop after school, went with H. to CVS to drop off an Rx, ate dinner, did homework, wrote some valentines, took a bath and had bedtime stories. But for the life of us, she will not fall asleep. H. did a lot of the bedtime routine but then had to scoot to CVS to pick up the Rx before pharmacy closes at 10 p.m.
Alice?
What?
I can't fall asleep.
You have to. You're seven years old and most of your classmates have been asleep for an hour and a half. And you have gymnastics at school in the morning--at 8:10!!! Count sheep.
What?
Count sheep. My daddy taught me that. Remember I told you about counting sheep?
Alice?
I just saw a rainbow sheep.
Wow, that's cool. I'll count sheep tonight, too, and tell you what colors I see. I usually see only white sheep.
Do it now.
No. I'll do it when I go to sleep.
Three hundred!!! I just counted to three hundred. Wasn't that fast?
Yes. Go to sleep, Punchy.
Five hundred! Wasn't that fast?
Yes, but I don't believe you counted to five hundred that quickly.
Well, good night to us all. Finally, I hope.
Alice!
Is Dan home?
No,hon.
Then why did I hear the door?
You didn't hear the door. I think it's the dryer, moving around.
Good night.
10:15 p.m.
Alice? When is Dan coming home?
I don't know. Maybe he met Mr. Werner and Mr. Mernin for a drink. [Sometimes they go to Tierney's, not far from CVS, for a beer.]
I can't fall asleep. My throat is very, very dry. I need water.
So I walk upstairs to give her water. My legs feel tired on the steps. I want to brush my teeth and put my nightgown on. I fix her covers. Now I am at the end of my rope. This is ridiculous. She usually sleeps from 10 to 8 but tomorrow we have to wake her by about 7:20 for gymnastics.
GO. TO. SLEEP.
This is not fun for me and Dan, to have a seven year old who stays up so late!
And now the darn dog gets into the act. She keeps looking at me and whining. She does this a. If her water bowl is empty [but it's not] and b. If she needs to go out. For the second time in an hour, I have to put boots and a jacket on and take her out to pee in the ice and snow.
These two little beings are bugging me!!!
No time to pray, really, but am praying for grace and guidance and trust and love for someone special.
TCOY
But here it is 9:57 p.m. on a Tuesday night, and Punchy keeps calling down to me from her bed. She had hip hop after school, went with H. to CVS to drop off an Rx, ate dinner, did homework, wrote some valentines, took a bath and had bedtime stories. But for the life of us, she will not fall asleep. H. did a lot of the bedtime routine but then had to scoot to CVS to pick up the Rx before pharmacy closes at 10 p.m.
Alice?
What?
I can't fall asleep.
You have to. You're seven years old and most of your classmates have been asleep for an hour and a half. And you have gymnastics at school in the morning--at 8:10!!! Count sheep.
What?
Count sheep. My daddy taught me that. Remember I told you about counting sheep?
Alice?
I just saw a rainbow sheep.
Wow, that's cool. I'll count sheep tonight, too, and tell you what colors I see. I usually see only white sheep.
Do it now.
No. I'll do it when I go to sleep.
Three hundred!!! I just counted to three hundred. Wasn't that fast?
Yes. Go to sleep, Punchy.
Five hundred! Wasn't that fast?
Yes, but I don't believe you counted to five hundred that quickly.
Well, good night to us all. Finally, I hope.
Alice!
Is Dan home?
No,hon.
Then why did I hear the door?
You didn't hear the door. I think it's the dryer, moving around.
Good night.
10:15 p.m.
Alice? When is Dan coming home?
I don't know. Maybe he met Mr. Werner and Mr. Mernin for a drink. [Sometimes they go to Tierney's, not far from CVS, for a beer.]
I can't fall asleep. My throat is very, very dry. I need water.
So I walk upstairs to give her water. My legs feel tired on the steps. I want to brush my teeth and put my nightgown on. I fix her covers. Now I am at the end of my rope. This is ridiculous. She usually sleeps from 10 to 8 but tomorrow we have to wake her by about 7:20 for gymnastics.
GO. TO. SLEEP.
This is not fun for me and Dan, to have a seven year old who stays up so late!
And now the darn dog gets into the act. She keeps looking at me and whining. She does this a. If her water bowl is empty [but it's not] and b. If she needs to go out. For the second time in an hour, I have to put boots and a jacket on and take her out to pee in the ice and snow.
These two little beings are bugging me!!!
No time to pray, really, but am praying for grace and guidance and trust and love for someone special.
TCOY
- Went into NYC to the Museum of Modern Art to see Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs. I liked it a lot. Today was the last day of the exhibition. Crowded. I was inspired by the artist and his work, so late in life. And the French names of the works! Figgy, Marc, Sis and Kim had seen it already [Figgy twice]--I was curious.
- Met Fig for late lunch/early dinner and then we went to her apartment so she could show me the new pet blowfish in her tank. I love my Figgy.
- I walked a lot. I think I topped 10,000 steps on my Fitbit. I'm just syncing the data now.
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