7:38 PM

That's my new bedtime.

Up every couple of hours to feed and change diapers, I'm doing ok at getting up while it is yet dark, in the frigid weather, and getting J off to school, never once grumbling about the fact that it should be illegal for schools to start at 7:30 AM. Then doing fine during the day with the 4 kids at home. Enjoying the company of friends who come bearing food, delicious food. Not resting during the day. Maintaining a pretty good state of mind despite the fact that I have bags under my eyes the size of Texas, and the whites maintain a pinkish hue from lack of sleep. But then 7:00 rolls around and SPLAT. I fall flat. Get the kids to bed, and I stumble to our room to feed Clover and lights out.

This absurdly early bedtime has me all confused. The phone rings at 8:22 PM waking me from my already deep sleep, and I shout at Bob, "who on earth would call at this hour? Don't people have manners anymore? Do they not know it's THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT for goodness sakes? What is this world coming to?" Uh huh.

So, if you do not want me to irrationally accuse you of having lost all civility, I wouldn't call here during the middle of the night...a.k.a. 8:22 PM.