Remember Garfield, that fat orange cat in a comic strip that passed for humor in the 1980s? I can recall many an installment where a haggard looking Garfield, clutching a cup of coffee, would simply say “Monday” to explain whatever weirdness occurred in the previous panels. His one-liner said much about society as a whole: we party, go out, spend time with family, and enjoy the weekend, but on Monday its back to the grindstone. Mondays can feel tough, but in our home, Sunday nights are positively evil.
For some time now I have noted that if the proverbial dirty diaper is going to hit the fan, it is hitting it twice on Sundays when the sun goes down. Sunday seems to be the night reserved for nervousness, colds, and tummy aches – and those are just my symptoms. There can be any number of issues that cause one or more of our children to wake us in the night, from the simple announcement, “I have to go to the bathroom” (thanks for sharing), to cries from a baby announcing they went too much and are in need of changing. Stomach flu outbreak? If it happens in our home, it happens on a Sunday when I’m just drifting off to sleep. Remember the Mighty Morphin’ Movie Night From Hell? A Sunday. Even if for no apparent reason one of the twins awakens screaming, thus waking everyone in a five-apartment radius, it will take place on a Sunday.
Naturally, this past Sunday played out no differently. My wife left for a weeklong business trip and the twins refused to go to sleep even remotely on time, throwing off my daughter’s schedule as she waited for me to settle her brothers. By 10:30, the kids were all finally asleep, but the leaky diaper fun was just beginning. Somehow, the twins each managed to wet the bed – twice. On the plus side, I became even more adept at moving, changing, and depositing toddlers in the dark in order to keep them dry and safe.
Fortunately for me, I know that the rest of the week will be easier despite Savvy’s absence. She left on Sunday and returns on a Saturday, so I know the worst is behind me for now. As for Mondays, Garfield might have hated them, but I know the ayis will arrive in the morning and I can take a catnap.
Photo courtesy of Mark Hillary (Flickr)
