April 10, 2000

DOWN HOME:
When he starts snoring,
hit him with a hymnal
___Sometimes, as a parent, all you can do is look back on a week and thank God you survived.
___We just endured a week like that. It compels me to say one thing to all you moms and dads who are raising kiddoes who still don't sleep through the night and you think you're tired: Just you wait.
___I'm not placing blame or anything like that, but objectively speaking, I'd say the biggest

MARV KNOX Editor

snag in the week was the high school drill team's Spring Show. Lindsay, 16, is on the drill team. The annual show primarily is a glorified dance recital. However, in order to make time for all the costume changes and what-not, we also get to hear several singers and the band's drumline, and we get to watch the ROTC precision-marching squad, a couple of solo dancers and the Stomp Sisters. Two hours of fun--and dance.
___To get ready, Lindsay attended rehearsal every night until about 10. Then she had to do her homework.
___That's not all. We had a reception at Molly's middle school one night. I had a meeting downtown one night and worked late another night. That brings us to Thursday night, the premiere of the Spring Show.
___Did I mention the girls had mountains of homework that week?
___Anyway, we averaged getting to bed around midnight every night. That's pretty late, especially when the alarm clock goes off at 5:15. The last time we had a newborn to curtail our sleep like that, we were 13 years younger. And that's a lot, even if you're not yet middle aged. Yet.
___By the end of the week, we were sleep-deprived. That's not so bad in and of itself. Still, it really messes with your mind when you're trying to stay awake on the drive home from work or in class or in church on Sunday morning.
___But what's really bad about sleep deprivation is niceness deprivation.
___By the end of the week, we all were cranky. Normally, I'm quite quick to observe crankiness in Lindsay and Molly. And I'm not loathe to notice when Jo crosses the cranky line. In our family, I'm the self-appointed nice police.
___Unfortunately, by the end of the week, I had to write myself a not-nice ticket. I knew I was pretty tired, and I was relatively certain I could've possibly maybe dozed in the choir loft Sunday morning. Worse, however, I gathered I was cantankerously cranky on Sunday afternoon, when Jo asked me for the 17th time in less than 24 hours, "What're you so mad about?"
___I'll admit I've napped through sermons on the importance of the Sabbath. But our wired week reminded me God wants us to observe a day of rest. Our bodies are God's temples; we should take care of them. And after all, it's hard to worship when you're asleep.


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