Sunday Family Story: Guest Post from Heather's Hubby

With Erik now almost totally mobile, my world is starting to get busier and busier... leaving less time for blogging and other pursuits... so Wayne has generously shared today's Sunday Family Story:


The Rapture, Armageddon and Parenthood

It is almost 2:00 AM as I write this.  As the slightly askew prediction of the rapture not coming to realization yesterday, I am finding myself kind of wishing it did happen.  As regular readers know Heather and I have three kids, a 13 year old, a four year old and a six month old.  For some undetermined reason both boys who are not much of nappers decided yesterday was a good day to take three or so hour naps in the afternoon and into the evening.  As a result of this, I knew I was going to be in trouble (bedtime was not going to happen at its regular time) but not quite this much.

The six month old fought a hard and well volumed battle using a variety of screeches, temper tantrums techniques that I had not previously known he had in his repertoire.  It took several techniques but around mid-night I prevailed.  The four year old however; he went to ‘bed’ at 9:00 PM and is singing still now at 2:00 AM.  He was good and ‘stayed’ in bed but is not asleep.  Due to his autism, we really cannot go to bed until he does.  He is just constantly singing the same song over and over and over.  It is a battle of attrition his ability to be annoying versus my patience level.  Sadly, as I am exhausted, he is winning so I have retreated to write this post.  Perhaps I can regain the high ground. 


I love my boy but he knows what buttons to push in order to get my patience to wane.  I know that getting angry and upset with him really just makes it harder to accomplish my task (getting him to sleep) as I am not thinking properly.  Further, I was just begging and pleading and like with my old college dates, that didn’t work with them either.  I realize I am just looking pathetic. 


I got an idea…hold on!


We have a winner!  By technical knockout in the twentieth minute of the 2:00 AM hour – the winner of the match and half decent parent of the world!  Me!  My knockout punch, I have a presentation to do for the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival on Tuesday morning.  I started to read my speech to him like a story and out cold he went!  Now, does that say something about my talk?  Ah darn!  I now have my mind on this thing.  Good-bye sleep…