Narcoleptic insomniac.

Insomnia is killing me.

E and T didn't get in until VERY late last night, so I knew I could count on them sleeping in a bit. Naturally, I did too. And then I got up and got breakfast ready and then slept until an hour later when children actually started coming down the stairs.

I napped while putting the baby down for his nap.

And then an hour later a delivery man rang the bell and the dog barked and the usual mayhem that comes with the bell ringing ensued, and to make a long story short, the baby woke up.

T and the kids were still home at that point, so she took care of the door and I took the crying baby.

Shortly after the kids left with T and I fed the baby lunch and tried to coax him into napping while I did on the day bed in the playroom. It didn't work.

While I dozed off every five minutes for about a minute each time, he learned how to completely screw up the TV, climb onto the chairs and jump up and down and open the memory game and throw it all over the floor.

This baby is gifted.

I could not keep my eyes open.

I fed him again; I guess I was hoping that if I could get him to eat enough he would go into a food coma, but it just seemed to give him more energy. I had done my morning cleaning and a few loads of laundry and I really, really, really just wanted to sleep. I had counted on his nap. I was ruined.

The day just kept going despite my problems.

T and the kids got home, kids sleeping. T went back out. I fed the baby dinner. The kids woke up and, honestly I don't know what we did to kill time. They were talking and I was yessing and the baby was showing off the other things he learned today.

Like leaning over the side of his high chair and throwing food directly into the dog's mouth.

And then the dog threw up.

And I just wanted to cry.

I kept myself awake by compuslively cleaning the countertops.

T got home again and I was off the hook for a while. The problem then was that it was after 6 and napping would no longer be to my benefit. I had to do something to keep myself occupied.

I hung out with the kids. T's mom dropped by and talking to her helped.

T spotted a little kitty on the side porch. It's black and white, the exact kind of kitty that I love the most, and it came right up to the door and sat down. She didn't want the kids opening the door because she was afraid it would bite, but it looked pretty tame to me. I fully intend to befriend it.

The older two kids got bored of him and left, but Baby I kept beating on the storm door and talking to him. He batted his little kitty eyes and just watched. And then Baby I showed me yet another new trick. He reached right up and pulled the handle and opened the door. The kitty ran and I woke up a little bit.

Did the 15-month old just open a door?

In answer to my question he started to step outside, paused, looked at me, waved his chubby little hand and said, "bye!"

When E got home the family had dinner together and I snuck off to my room to lay in bed and remind myself how much I love it there. I played internet Jeopardy with my eyes closed. I lost.

I think the only reason I didn't fall asleep was that I could hear the conversation in the kitchen above me and the baby's blood-curdling screeches were enough to keep me alert.

When it sounded like they were done eating, and I could hear T's elephant shoes tramping up the stairs I headed up to hang out with the kids. It was the only way I was going to make it.

I read four books with R and got them both ready for bed.

And of course, my second wind kicked in.

All is lost.

Everyone has gone to their seperate corners of the house for the evening and even though I have been a hair away from hibernation-style sleep all day, now that I can sleep, I am wired.

Tetris, anyone?