Sleep Study

The garden (ok, something in the garden.. poison ivy, perhaps) gave me leprosy on my legs, so now I'm on the 'roids to get rid of the bumps and itch (ON MY LEGS, people). I am feeling much better, but in addition to the 'roid rage and my superhuman strength, I also am hungry ALL THE TIME and I can't freaking sleep. So, I take the 'roids in the morning (uppers) and then have to take Benadryl at night (downers) to sleep even a little. Ah, the rock star lifestyle of a suburban mom.

While the rest of the house sleeps, I've been thinking about sleep, looking at my peacefully sleeping child (in person and in pictures). I've also found some amazing products for sale on late night info-mercials.

Since I'm not sleeping, I thought I'd share some photos of the only other living soul who sleeps almost as little as I do...They capture rare moments of quiet stillness. These pictures are much like getting a picture of a hummingbird being still or some really loud thing (a LOUD, LOUD THING) being quiet (it's 1AM.. I can't create sweeping imagery all the time). These pictures also prove that while he definitely doesn't look like his Mommy, he sure does sleep like her...when she sleeps.


June 12, 2005: notice the "flamingo pose" with his legs and the territorial way he spread himself diagonally to take up as much space as possible, and the blanket up around his head. I sleep just like that only I require full blanket coverage from my ears to the tips of my toes. (Side note: Thanks, Wendy for the bizarre blanket covering obsession...see below.)

May 13, 2007: A "big boy bed" sure doesn't stop him from getting a good night's sleep (as long as it's after 11:00pm). Below, in his "Zippy's" (pajamas that are WAY TOO WARM for spring or summer--according to mommy--but do have the necessary zipper from toes to neck--according to Ben). I don't know if he got himself in bed that way by playing until he literally FELL asleep or what. But, when I moved him after taking this picture, he slid right back to where he was before. Oh, and evidently, all the cool kids sleep in sleeping bags next to their bed. Rarely do we actually find him in his bed. Maybe the floor is better for his bad back, who knows?

**Blanket obsession revealed: At some point in my impressionable young life, I got to spend the night at Wendy's house. It was so cool. She was older, wiser, and we got to sleep in her kinda creepy basement (that had a tree house...in the basement playroom...,but that's another story). Anyway, I remember that she, in passing (as we were going to sleep), mentioned that "if you don't cover up completely with a blanket at night that the aliens will probe you." Yep. So here I am 20ish years later, still covering up so the aliens don't probe me in my sleep.

Yeah, you think it's nuts, but the next time you go to bed, you'll be thinking about those aliens... Is it any wonder Ben is going to need lots of therapy someday?