Friday, March 13, 2009

i can't stay up late anymore

In college I used to stay up until 3 in the morning. Regularly.
Than I would get up for my 7:30 class in my sweats, get ready after
breakfast and be ready for a day of fun and work and homework and then repeat.
Now if I stay up past 10 at night, the next morning I look and feel like I was run over by a small herd of wildebeests.
I believe this is because I have not slept completely through the night in
around 8 years. Whereas I used to frolic into the wee midnight hours,
endless hours of diaper changing and nursing have killed the night owl joy for me.
Yesterday, two of my friends looked at me as I picked my kids up from school
and said, "Wow! You look tired!" And I said,
"Yes, I am tired." Not from yesterday or the day before.
I am tired from last week!
A whole week ago when Barbie and Leslie and I went to San Antonio and
pretended we were still 20, we stayed up til 1 and 3 and got up at 4:15 to
catch our plane and my body said, "No, thank you!"
It is taking me a week to recover from Leslie's imitation of Frida Kahlo....
(The similarity between the two is uncanny, isnt' it?)

And Barbie's and mine stunning interpretation of prairie maidens....
(those were strong feminine shoulders that Texas was built upon)

and then of course there were the late nights on the river walk spent sipping coffee and talking about life.

I immediately caught a cold on arriving home.
It seems that staying up late also takes out my immune system. Apparently, I am 90.
And I've been falling asleep on the couch as the children do their homework in the
afternoon, only to be woken by Addison sitting on my chest peering into my face,
disturbed that Mommy cannot remain conscious if she sits down.
And the craziest thing of all?
All I can think as I rip myself out of bed each morning is and run bleary eyed for the coffee is....
How long before we can do it again?


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6 comments:

Pilgrim said...

I hear you on this.
I'm only 36, and I look about 15, but my body feels like its about 80 on some days... like today, when it is cold and rainy. Ouch-- achy joints, achy muscles. Normally I can do Tae Bo til I fall down, but something happens when the weather changes, and I think, WHAT HAPPENED? I turn into my grandmother!
Used to be able to stay up til 4 a.m. on the weekends also. Then it was 2 a.m.
Now its midnight.
Before I know it, I'm going to be going to bed at 7 pm. on Friday nights.
By the time I'm actually old, I'll just be sleeping 24 hours a day I guess...

Penny said...

A large regular coffee with a double shot espresso will work every time. It's how I passed my 8 a.m. Spanish class freshman year. ;)

Unknown said...

There's nothing like girlfriend time. Nope, nothing like it.

Girly Muse said...

it's hard work being a tv star!!! the nightlife...

seriously...i'm so sorry you're not feeling well. praying supergirl strength and rest your way.

Kelly @ Love Well said...

It's an addiction, isn't it?

Jaime Lee said...

Zoh, my Gosh! Susannah, your eye lashes are outstanding. They are working over-time.