In With The New

Bob said he was ready for a more "grown up" set of sheets and a blanket. The Star Wars ones are now living in the linen closet. Sigh. Mr. Rosenberg is certain that they will be requested again after the release of the next Star Wars movie. I'm not so sure. If it's ridiculous to let new sheets make you sort of sad then, I am ridiculous. 

Tummy Trouble

"Okay, Bob. You just try and rest now."

"Is my bowl here?"

"It's right here next to the bed with a towel and some water in case you get sick again."

"Mom, I really don't feel good."

"I know, Honey. I'm sorry. It's rotten to be sick."

"It's really rotten."

"It's getting rotten-er and rotten-er, isn't it?"

"Mom!"

"What is it? Are you going to throw up again?"

"No. It's just that rotten-er isn't a real word."

And So To Bed

"...Okay then. Goodnight, Babalooloo."

"Mom! My name is not Babalooloo."

"Okay, Peaches. Goodnight."

"Mom! It's not Peaches, either."

"All right, Junior Rosenpants. I'll see you in the morning."

"Mom!"

"I love you, Bob."

"I love you too."

Sandman

Artist: ilya Green

I can’t get enough of watching him sleep, that fast hard sleep of childhood. The whispery dream talking that I try to understand but can’t quite make out the words. The violent kicking and fluttery eyelids. The tiny sleepwalker who gets up for “one more glass of water” yet doesn’t remember his midnight thirst in the morning. 

When he is sleeping and I’m awake, I remember to slow down and watch. The little hands making a fist. The cheek seeking the cool side of the pillow. For a short time, the clock is still and I hold my breath and watch. I pull the covers up to his chin, the last tuck in of the night.

I can’t get enough of watching him sleep.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Zzzs

Nice guys catching some winks.

I Can't Get Enough of This

Can. Not.

Math-y

"Mom? Since I stayed up so late last night, like the latest ever, but then I got up at 5:30 in the morning but then now it's three hours later here in New York City and last night I stayed up super late, like almost 11:00 in the night-time and then I got up and it was early but the sun was up already but back home it was dark, should I be really sleepy now or not because I'm not that tired. I'm really not."

The Man In the Moon

photo

Bob had a sleep over last night with Grandma Jan and Pops. At 3:08am our phone rang.

"Daddy? Hi."

"What's up, Buddy?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to talk to Mom?"

"Yeah."

"Hi, Baby."

"Mom? It was a good night but I had a bad dream. And I miss you guys a little."

"I miss you too. Do you think you can you go back to sleep and have sweet dreams now?"

"Mom, I love you, you know?"

8:22pm

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"Good night, Bob."

"Hey, Mom? Who loves me more you or Daddy? Do you love me more than the whole world? You love me more than everything, right? I know. How many inches long is this bed? How long is an inch exactly? Is my hand and inch or is it more than an inch? I can't fall asleep. Why is no one doing anything to help me fall asleep? Mom? I love the way your hands smell.

"Good night, Bob."

Good Stuff to Have When You Are Sick By Bob Rosenberg

1. Something for wiping your runny nose besides your hand and pajammies shirt.
2. Those little ice cream sandwiches that taste like s'mores.
3. A special bed that your mom sets up for you on the TV couch.
4. Stuffed animals and Captain Rex.
5. Your cat should check on you.
6. Juice in the special cup that has the guitars on it.
7. Batman books from the library.
8. The medicine that tastes like purple.

2:16am

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"Mama! Wake up! I had a bad dream."

"Oh, honey. What was it about?"

"It was about a snake."

"And it was scary?"

"Yeah."

"But you like snakes."

"It wasn't the snake part of him that was scary, it was his evil laugh."

Good Morning, Señor

When Bob woke up this morning, he sat up quickly and looked around the room.

"Mom? What language is adios?"

"Spanish."

And then he fell back asleep.

Another Good Idea

When we told Bob that we would have to get up at 4:30am to go to the airport, he replied that he would be sleeping in his clothes. He wasn't kidding.

AM/PM

"So, Bob? Because we have to start getting up so early for school, we're going to have to go to bed a little earlier."

"I'm not going to be able to do that, Mom."

"Why not?"

"I'm a night-guy."

Fast Asleep

"Mom? What if I fell asleep and fell into my dreams and then I couldn't get back out? Like I fell so far that I couldn't climb back out of there and just stayed in the dreaming part?"

"I'd have to climb down in there and get you out and bring you home."

"You could do that?"

"Yes."

Smacksy Saturday Photo

Remember that time Bob got really emotionally attached to that acorn squash? Good times.

Smacksy Saturday Photo: Sleeps

Last night, I was woken up by the sound of Bob meowing in his sleep.

Vi-o'clock

Every morning between 3:30 and 4:00, Violet pads into our bedroom. She sits down near Jeff’s side of the bed and the meowing begins. She reserves her special car-alarm-sounding meow for this time in the morning. She doesn’t do this when Jeff’s out of town. This is meant just for him.

Jeff heaves out of bed and gets her a bowl of water. The howling continues. He opens a new can of cat food and places it in a dish on the counter. Still with the howling. He turns the faucet on for a light drip for her to drink from. The howling stops for a minute or so and then starts again. He picks her up and carries her to the couch while she mashes her head into his neck, her version of a hug. Jeff returns to bed and goes back to sleep.

Every morning.

I finally wake up, long after Jeff has gone to work. I pick up Violet and smell her head, the tiny fur head that smells just like Jeff’s neck.

The Eyes

"I can shoot 2,009 lasers out of my eyes, Mom. I am telling you the truth."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah and I can do it faster than a spider can move."

"Whoa."

"And I am silent as flowers."

4:24am

photo from here

It was still dark outside when I woke up. I could feel Jeff sleeping at my side, his back rising with each breath. The dog shifted at my feet. I rolled over and discovered Bob in the bed. His Star Wars jammies glowed in the dark. His eyes fluttered while I watched him sleep, his little-boy hands balled into fists. He lifted his head and turned into the pillow and whispered, "Sandwich..."