Sleep

Sleep is such a precious commodity! Everyone is tired.  Stay-at-home Mamas/Working Mamas, Students, Dads, Grandmas, Poppas, Aunties, Uncles etc. Everyone is tired! Everyone could do with more sleep. I tell you there is no such thing as "sleeping like a baby!"  That over used totally ridiculous phrase conjours up pictures of sweet chubby bubbas lying ever so peaceful sound asleep in a beautifully decorated room in a cot with ironed-smoothed blankets  with matching curtains. Ha that never happens, well not in my house anyway.  I have said this before, Jesse doesn't like to sleep in a bed during the day.  He would much much rather sleep on the couch in amongst the palaver and chaos that is our daily living.  Sleeps more soundly and infinitely longer this way!

 

I had to take these photos because he looked so grumpy about going to sleep!

I cannot remember the last time I had a full nights sleep. Honestly! I even got up to my 12 year old the other night. Why?  Because once he starts with one cough it leads to two and then three and then we are all awake. So rather than waiting until he calls out to me I got up and brought him his inhaler and fixed the problem.  I wouldn't say that I am anymore tired than the next person. At present Jesse is waking from 2 to 7 times a night.  Sometimes I scoot him in and feed him and sometimes I just put my hand on him or touch my lips to his head and he goes back to sleep. Oh how I love that I get to snuggle, its like having my own mould-able hot water bottle.

 Some of my children are older and for the most part don't wake up at night needing my or Jamies help. The younger ones still wake up...for drinks, bad dreams, no blankets, the night light on, cuddles, the occasional wet bed and sometimes they are even hungry.  Sometimes we play musical beds, that's not uncommon in our house.  It is also not uncommon for me to check on the boys or girls before I go to bed and find the kids have rearranged their sleeping  quarters.  At present the Jayden (10) and Thomas (7) have pushed their two beds together into one giant bed and are sleeping like that!

There was a time a couple of years ago where the three boys decided to be in "Little House in the Prairie" days and all sleep in one single bed together.  They did that for a number of nights. During that time Kaitlyn and Sophie came into our bed one night and we joked (as you only you can on nights like that) that we only needed two beds for our entire family.  It is also not uncommon for me to find the kids sleeping on the floor, sometimes with their mattress and sometimes without.  Seriously who would voluntarily sleep on the floor!

Sophie and Kaitlyn decided to sleep in our room one night!

 It is a regular occurrence for me to find the kids have made huts after they have gone to bed and they have gone to sleep in there.

Jamie will often sleep on the fold out couch or on a mattress on the floor if one of the kids are sick.  For an entire week after Jesse was born he vacated our bed for a mattress on our bedroom floor so Jesse and I could spread out and recover.   We frequently all sleep in the lounge and have family movie night. ALL the mattress come off the beds (including ours) and they are set up in preparation for movie watching.  Funny thing is, is that on those nights EVERYONE has the best sleep-ever!  There is something to be said for communal living I reckon.

 It is true that some people need more sleep than others. I function on little sleep and for the most part I function well. Jamie on the other hand doesn't and will often take himself off for a nap if the day allows it. This use to (and if I am honest it still does to a degree) frustrates me, but I am S-L-O-W-L-Y accepting that he needs Nana-naps.  I don't enjoy going to bed early and would rather stay up late and enjoy some time with no kiddies wanting/needing me. I HATE getting up early, but I am working hard at getting up before 7am. Yes I know for some of you the day has started by then. Jamie can jump out of bed very sprightly indeed, be showered and dressed before I have even got one eye open! I am awake often at night, thinking, reflecting, planning and dictating essays, teachings and blogs (in my head).  In saying all this, sleep is important for everyone, its just that we all require different amounts. Sleep is essential for health, growth and everyday functioning.  All of us probably don't get as much as we should for one reason or another. (ha I just yawned - I must be tired) We ALL are busy with living our lives and could all do with a bit of slowing down, a bit less technology, a bit more activity/exercise/ a bit more of the outdoors, a bit more of 'being present in the now'.  Even God rested, so therefore so must you/I. Where are you sleeping tonight?

Goodnight lovely people!

 

 

So what are you doing this Sabbath!