I really, really, wonder if I was this way when I was 2 1/2 and 5.

I was lucky enough to get to spend the last couple of nights with Jessie and Joey, my 5 year old granddaughter and my 2 1/2 year old grandson. I shared an air mattress with Joey, and Jessie had the couch nearby. The first night, Jessie was really tired and she slept peacefully and quietly. Joey, on the other hand, was a little restless and several times during the night I'd awaken to what I believed was a wide awake, alert Joey, as he was shouting "Mine" or laughing out loud about something or even saying some sentence, which, for the life of me, I couldn't tell you the meaning of right now.

The final night, Saturday night, was an adventure...Jessie, again on the couch, and Joey sharing the air mattress with MaDear. About every hour on the hour, Joey would make a complete 360 degree revolution, half way through kicking me and yelling at the same time at the top of his lungs, "NO!!!"

I would just say "Joey, get back on your pillow and be quiet" and Jessie would say "Joey, don't talk so loud" and we'd both wait for the calm to come after the storm, so to speak.

And then I'd have to go to the bathroom and make my way back to bed, where I'd find my MP3 player of episodes of NPRs Fresh Air and I'd lie there awake, and wondering how Katie and Dan do this night after night and just how sleep deprived people with young children actually survive in this stressful world.

When I got to my own bed Sunday night, with only Jack & Marina to cuddle with, and Dalai and Dharma doing their cat, nocturnal things all night, I just relished in the fact that it was going to be a good night, full of peaceful, quiet, wonderful bliss, but then again, I *did* miss the thrill of it all with my JJs.