Saturday, January 13, 2007

Of forts and sleeplessness

I came in from work today to find that my livingroom had been transformed into a tent city of sheets and blankets. Gone was the dining table, gone was the chair by the door that no one ever sits in because it's always covered with coats and bags (there's a hook behind the door, but it's usually full too), and I had to go through the kitchen to get to my office.

Giggles greeted me as the eleven year old, the eight year old and even the fourteen year old peered out at me.

"Dad says we have to take it down when you come in," said Sam, my youngest. It was a question and I wondered if my husband thought I'd disapprove of tents in the livingroom. He's forgotten the tent fort I built for us in my livingroom once while we were dating. He's also forgotten who taught the boys to build them in the first place.

I was distracted and tired, but not that tired. "Shows what Dad knows. Of course you can leave it up."

Cheers from within made me The Best, at least for a few hours.

At bedtime the expected question came. "Can we sleep in it?"

It's sleeting outside; we're under a flood warning; we've been told to brace for several days of ice and, if we're really lucky, snow. I can think of no place better to sleep on a winter's night like this than in a giant fort of sheets and blankets.

Of course you can, I said.

I maintained my hold on the title The Best past nine o'clock. I believe this is a record.

Armloads of stuffed animals trooped in, all chattering excitedly about the adventure. Pillows and couch cushions were collected to lay on. I can see stuffed animals butts poking out from the edges of the tent flaps. They are no doubt on sentry duty, looking over my eight year old. I will miss it when he finally outgrows this.

I took a Tylenol PM twenty minutes ago in hopes that I will get some sleep tonight. I ran on an hour's sleep today and would like to not repeat the experience. Working at the computer in the office today, talking to various 4-H parents, and simply trying to put newsletters in envelopes was all a bit too much like algebra for my liking. Perhaps I should try sleeping in a fort.

1 comment:

Scotty said...

It's moments like those that make life worth living, eh?

Aaaahhh, I remember kids' forts...