Stahlke Adoption

The Unconscious Mom

When Jonathan or I need to recharge our batteries, it takes about two hours. He goes to Borders and reads a book, while I take a long nap. After some time sleeping in peace and quiet, everything looks much more manageable to me.

The kids think that I sleep far too much. On Mother's Day in 2006, Rachel brought home a questionnaire from school in which she described me:

1. My mom's name is Mary.
2. Mom's favorite food is chocolate.
3. In her free time, Mom likes to sleep.
etc.

I've been trying not to sleep on Sunday afternoons, since Jonathan has tended the children all morning without me. But periodically, we've had a late Saturday night or an especially busy Sunday morning, and if I don't nap, I'll fall asleep anyway! Anyone who works as a pastor or a church musician can understand the need for a "liturgical" Sunday nap.

Last Sunday was one of those busy days, and I took a nap even though Jonathan had to drive to Concordia to pick up some papers to grade. Without my knowledge, he left strict instructions with the children that they should only wake me if it was an emergency. Before he returned, I had sleepily fielded four (!) questions that they must have felt were emergency situations! For example:
Child: "Can I go play at the neighbor's house?"
Me: "You have to telephone Papa about that! His cell phone number
is . . . ."

Interestingly, the two kids who asked the questions are the most insecure of our children, and they may have been reassuring themselves that I was still available to them.

posted by Stahlkes @ 9:05 AM