Happy Lent!

Oh, Lent doesn't start until Wednesday?  Well, it started early for our family.  Last night the boys--both of whom are suffering from nasty little colds--decided that as a family we should give up sleep for the good of our souls.  Or something like that.  I'm going to keep on believing that they just want holy parents, because it almost makes it easier.  Almost.

Here's a summary of our (thankfully atypical) night:

7:30pm  We arrive home from cousin Caraline's 7th birthday party, tired, coughing, runny noses, but mostly happy.

8:00pm  Liam is more or less asleep after nursing for ever (oh, only 20 minutes? close enough).  Alex rocks him while I read our half chapter of Narnia to Michael for bedtime.  We pray Night Prayer and sing our Salve without incident.

8:20pm  Both boys are dosed with Tylenol, in bed, asleep.  Alex goes downstairs to kill aliens for a while (on the computer, as far as I know), and I sit down to the ever exciting game of "how much milk can I pump tonight?" as we try to build up a stash to allow us to go out for a super long date night next weekend.  I say "we" like it's a joint effort... Alex does provide moral support... Michael sort of provides moral support as well, or at least is highly entertained whenever I get milk for "Elmo."

10:39pm  After staying up later than intended enjoying some much-needed time to ourselves, Alex and I finally settle down for the night.  Or so we think.

10:40pm  Michael wakes up and not happy.  Alex goes to get him, and after listening to crying, coughing, and some very pathetic Mama! Mama!s from the other room for about five minutes, I go in to help.  Michael calms down with me, and I send Alex to bed while I settle M back down.

10:50pm  M is back to sleep, and I head back to bed.

11:00pm   I come back to our room to discover Alex rocking an awake and not very happy L.  I take over and send Alex back to bed, and L starts nursing like he's never going to eat again.

11:25pm  M wakes up again.  Alex goes and puts him back down.

11:40pm  Alex comes back to bed.  L is done nursing, but sleeping very fitfully and I can't put him down yet.

11:45pm  M wakes up again.  I hand off L to Alex and I go to put M back down.

11:50pm  I get M back to sleep and come back to sit with Alex while L finishes settling down.

11:57pm  L is finally fast asleep and lets Alex put him down.  We finally get to go to bed.

2:00am  M wakes up.  Alex goes to get him, and I follow with another dose of Tylenol.  When M sees me he decides he wants me instead of Alex, so I send Alex back to bed.

2:13am  I go back to bed and lie there waiting for L to wake up, because that's just what's likely to happen.

4:30am  L wakes up hungry.

5:00pm  I put a sleeping L down and he wakes up immediately.  I take him to bed with me and he falls back to sleep.

5:58pm  L wakes up again, but goes back to sleep after nursing for a few minutes.

6:30am  Our alarm goes off.  Time to get ready for Mass.

So, according to the Parents' Sleep Index I'm only functioning on a little over an hour of sleep.  Ergo, early Lent.