Chickadee was away for a few days this week on a school trip; some extremely brave school personnel took a gaggle of 10- and 11-year-olds into the woods and lived with them there. On purpose.
Due to the whole divorce and visitation thing, I’m accustomed to the kids going away for a few days every so often. I don’t freak out about it or anything. I missed her while she was gone, and the house was quieter, and Monkey very much enjoyed his all-too-brief stint as an only child, but it was okay. All good. Though by today I was itching to have her home.
I picked her up this afternoon and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that describing her joyful demeanor as “mean as a snake” is putting it kindly. Some people do okay with sleep deprivation, and my daughter is not one of them. So she was crabby and snappy and churlish. Nice to see you, too!
After the contents of her pack were dumped in the washer, and the contents of a large plate of food was dumped into HER, I did get to hear a little bit about the trip—they stayed up late playing “truth or dare” in the cabin at night. During pond ecology they went right in the pond and got all muddy. Their idea of “vegetarian diet” was to give her a veggie burger or tell her to “eat around the meat.” (Nice!) She would be happy and excited in telling about something, and then moments later on the verge of tears about something else.
I suggested she go lay down in her bed until dinner.
She indignantly insisted that she WAS. NOT. TIRED.
(I tried not to laugh.) (I failed.)
A compromise was struck: She could go lay down in the family room and read for a while. That, at least, would be calm and relaxing.
Five minutes later I heard snoring, so I peeked.
In a little while I’ll wake her up for dinner, and we’ll all be together again for evening. I daresay we’ll all sleep a little better tonight, too.
Oh my that is exactly how I feel after a camping trip.
LOVE IT!!! If that pose doesn’t say “Sheer, total exhaustion”, nothing does!
My girls always came home with what I called a slumber party hang-over.
Wow, poor tired girl!
When I was growing up vegetarian my birthday party staple food was a potato chip sandwich: hotdog bun, butter, potato chips. At least she got veggie burgers ;)
That’s one tired headless child you have there ;) Hope she recovers quickly!
I would have laughed, too. And do when my boys say that to me because it usually means that they are about to FALL.OVER.
Glad she’s home, safe and sound!
At least she managed to put the book down. When my youngest is NOT TIRED she falls asleep sitting up.
I’m fully exhausted just remembering my days of Truth and Dare and pond ecology.
She totally realized the trick you were playing on her. She was just too tired to call you on it. :)
Don’tcha love it when they don’t make any sense?! The NOT. TIRED. protest – followed by snoring. If you leave them to it, they will succumb. heh heh
What a sweet picture. Crabby children are so adorable when they pass out. Dead to the world. Lala Land.
My stepson went on a week long trip to the cabins/mountains with a huge group of kids his age. I knew he would have a blast, but when he stepped off the bus he looked like he had been seriously drinking and not sleeping all week. Not to mention he was filthy. I was horrified til I realized the smile on his face was worth it all. He slept for a day, I unpacked his bag which coincidentally the bag of soap, hand towel and deodorant where still neatly packed exactly how I left them. He did however brush his teeth at least once bc the paste was stuck to the bottom of his suitcase.
I used to take my 6th graders to camp every year. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. As for sleep deprivation: I was the mean teacher who insisted they sleep at night. I like to think they were tired enough from the days fun and just needed a push!
I hope Chickie can focus on the good when she’s better rested.
I have the exact same chair and ottoman. Wait, that wasn’t the point of your post?
I hope you enjoyed dinner yourselves first, THEN woke her up to eat, as she probably bit your head off upon awakening.
:-o
I left something for you on my blog. I hope you are having a wonderful day!
She looks so relaxed and comfortable and happy to be surrounded by the comforts of home!
I swear our girls are separated at birth or something. Mine is the exact same way after girl scout camping weekends. (without the vegetarian…she loves her veggies, but she loves her meat too.) I, too, have a hard time not laughing.