Night Owls and my Secret Ultimate Blogging Goal

So I kind of talk a lot on Facebook.  That's like saying James Brown kind of gets down.  Well, this past week, I have been having a conversation with bunches of my girlfriends about Gigi's night sleeping, or her lack of, more like.  All sorts of sympathy, suggestions and general chit chat is going on.

My AWESOME girlfriend and former neighbor (from Charlottesville, the fabulous neighborhood of Burnet Commons), Andrea Kaplowitz sent me an old e-mail of mine, written on January 30, 2006 today.  She said

I was reading your facebook post the other day about needing Gigi to sleep thru the night, and I was truly feeling for you.   I thought that the below email might help, because even though time moves at an eternity when you are sleep deprived (and living across the world!), the truth is that it slips by fast.  Before you know it, they are such big kids.  Take a look back....

You see, before this blog, I used to send e-mail stories along with pictures.  Instead of having captions for the pictures, I would name the picture file something funny or loving or what not.

Before we had Audrey, I made a wedding scrapbook and then started a scrapbook about our married life.  And Audrey came and I had the baby girl scrapbook purchased.  With lots of baby girl stuff to put in it.  And I would take pictures and think in my head how I would lay it out on the page and write the stories in my head of what happened so that she could look back on it and know she was loved and remember the times we had.

But life got in the way.  I never scrapbooked one page.  NOT ONE!  I would still take pictures in sets of 5 or 6, telling a story.  And a few times I got out all of our pictures (remember when you would actually develop pictures and hold them in your hand?) and organized them in shoeboxes in chronological and subject order.  But still, no albums.

I started this blog after some pestering (ahem Nico) because I wanted to capture the stories.  I want to remember that time when I asked Audrey on the eve of her 6th birthday what she thought it was going to be like being six and she answered after much thought, "I think I'll be able to do a cartwheel better."  Or how about the time I asked Olivia what she wanted to be when she grew up (probably around age 2) and she said, "A choo-choo train."  And on Monday of this week, we didn't realize that there was no Yochien (their winter break is different than an American one) and Mick and Claire went out to wait for the bus and a little bit later Claire comes running in telling me, "MOMMY!"  (Claire's very LOUD!) "MOMMY!  THERE'S NO YOCHIEN TODAY!  DADDY AND I WAITED TEN TIMES!"

And Gigi.  My sweet baby Gigi.  Is there anything more wonderful and fleeting than your baby?  She goes from this little sweet scrunched up layette to 18 month pajamas faster than you can say, "Be sure to cherish these times."  I wanted to remember her babyhood as best as I can.

So I'm writing this blog, with the intention of exporting it to a book every year or so in order to save these stories for the girls.  And my ultimate blogging goal (See?  I do go on and on and onandonandon, but I eventually get to my point) is to create a new blog, that will be of interest to very few (And those few will have names that end in Ingram or Wagoner, I'm sure) where I go through my digital pictures, chronologically, event by event, because just like the shoebox, that's how they're saved on my computer.  Not this tax season, but hopefully I can at least start it before we leave Japan.

So back to the "Night Owl" e-mail.  Here's what I wrote about my little girls back when I only had two owls.

Date: Mon, Jan 30, 2006 at 8:51 AM
Subject: Night Owls

Last night I put Olivia to bed at 7:45 and Audrey to bed at 8:30.  Around 9:15 I went upstairs because I could hear Olivia still up, singing to herself.  She was cradling her lamb beanie baby ("Lammie") like it was a baby.  She is such a little Mother and makes sure all of her dollies and beanie babies get naps....we have a very sleepy house (for inanimate objects) and find babies and beanies face down, all over the house, with blankets, Kleenexes, whatever over the top of them so they stay warm.

As I went past Audrey's room she dove down into her pillow and pretended to be asleep, but I found that she was reading a new "Groovy Girls" (don't buy it....it's horrible) book by the light of her nightlight.  Since I was a kid who tried to sneak in reading after "lights out", I wasn't mad and just told her not read that book anymore or I would take it away.

So when I went to bed around 11:15, I went in to check on the girls.  I went into Olivia's room and found her sprawled out, with her 5 mimis that she likes to have near her while she sleeps, no blanket on her, but her favorite blanket pulled up over Lammie who has her head on Olivia's pillow.  It was too darn cute and I ran down to get my camera. 

My sleepy lamb

Taking care of lammie.

So then I go to check on Audrey and I notice she's face down asleep, on a book.  I thought she fell asleep while reading, thought it quite cute and snapped a picture of that as well.  

Ahhh!  Isn't that sweet?  She fell asleep while reading!

 To my great surprise she pops up and yells "Surprise! I'm awake!"  That kid had taken my instructions literally and was not reading the forbidden "Groovy Girls" book, but a more cerebral "Before I was Famous....the life of Ben Franklin."  It was just too darn funny and I had her pose with the book.

Wait a minute!!!!  It's 11:15!!!!!!

 I then set up camp on her floor and had her turn her nightlight off and we both went to sleep.

To my great surprise and happiness.....Audrey was very pleasant this morning and got up without complaint.  Olivia, on the other hand......she was a grump-a-lump and I'm sure is already ready for her nap!

Thought you would enjoy the story and pictures.  I'm sending this to Audrey's teachers and librarian too.....sorry about the lack of sleep on her part today, but I guess I'm excited that she has discovered a love for reading!  :)  Thanks for being such great teachers to her!

Fondly,

sue  :)

 Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
- Maya Angelou

THANK YOU ANDREA!!!!!!!!!  

You absolutely made my day sending this to me!  

I can't believe you still have that e-mail, but it was wonderful to see!  

Love you bunches!!!!!!  xoxo