"All Because of a Newspaper"

"And the newspaper isn't that great. I guess as far as newspapers go, it's good, but still."

These were the thoughts that were swirling through my head at 4 a.m. When DH went to bed, I decided to put Layla and Phoenix in the outdoor kennel to try to curb Layla's new found love of newspapers. (She's actually just being her sweet, helpful self since all she usually does is take the plastic off. She's just trying to help!) She usually sleeps outside while Phoenix sleeps in our laundry room with the door partway open. But I thought since Layla hates the kennel and Phoe seems to like it, that maybe if they both were in there, it would be fine with Layla. They both resisted little when I put them in and fed them.

I stayed up late catching up on my reading for the B90, then I had done a little bit of planning for our homeschool (not much, just enough for the next two weeks while we still have "extra" kids). I went to bed around 12:30 and read a few pages of "Pocketful of Pinecones" by Karen Andreola. I turned off the light around 12:45 and was looking forward to sleeping. We have been sleeping with our window open since it's nice and cool outside. I could hear the coyotes yipping at the moon, but they don't bother me. However, I should have known.

Phoenix started barking at 1:30, so quickly I went out and got her since I know our neighbor had gotten off work at 11:30, so he was probably just settling down. I had to wrestle with her to get her in the house since she wanted to be with Layla (and poor Layla is left in the kennel at this point). Phoe resigned herself to the laundry room, and I went back to bed.

At 2:30, SWK started "Mommy"ing from his place on the top bunk in their room. He'd dropped Brown Puppy. Are you kidding me? This same dog who he's had since he was 1 but paid no attention to until 3 months ago? That dog? The one that Bounce has slept with the last five years but gave up when SWK decided he needed to sleep with it? That dog. He'd fallen off the top bunk (the dog is stuffed by the way, so it hadn't hurt him), and SWK needed the dog! So, since I'm the good parent (Kidding. I kid. Kind of.) I got up and retrieved the stuffed Labrador. (Get it? Retrieved the Labrador. Okay, it wasn't that funny at 2:30 either!). I huffed my way back to bed (my attitude wasn't great by this point. Poor SWK!) and thoughts swirled.

At 3:15, I could hear Layla whining (softly) from the kennel which is not far from our bedroom window. What the? I am not bothered by the (what sounds like) 50 coyotes but let one of my dogs (or kids) whine, and I can't go back to sleep?

At 4 something else happened, (kid, dog, husband???), but I woke up (had I really been asleep?). I laid there and thought, "All of this because of a newspaper?" DH woke up sometime after 5:30 (and it seemed like he was loud this morning. Were you, DH? Were you???), I turned my alarm off at 7 and SWK started "Mommy"ing again at 7:50because he was wondering if our "extra" kids were here yet. Yikes! I jumped out of bed and ran and got my non-pajamas on. They finally showed up at 9. (I could have been dozing!)

Needless to say, I'm slurping up the coffee today, and thinking of buying my neighbor a post and a box for his newspaper. And on second thought, is it the dogs (stuffed or otherwise) or the newspaper that's causing issues? I'll let you know after I finish my pot of coffee!