How to Torture Your Brother, Part 1

The kids and I are on our latest trek. This time we have my mom as our travel companion. God bless her. The first leg of the journey has been largly uneventful. My hotel choice has been a huge disappointment to the children because there is no pool nor does the TV have Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. They could care less that it is on the historic registry and that I got it for a rock bottom bid on Priceline. I have failed in their eyes. They are harsh critics. I promised that I would take them to the McDonalds that I used to eat at when I was in college(it has 2 stories), so that is a bright spot on the itinerary for tomorrow.

My daughter has taken great pleasure in keeping her older brother awake. She invents all sorts of ways to irritate him while passing it off as routine behavior. It is very sly and underhanded and it drives him to the brink of sanity. Of course she loves it because he is such an easy target and every time he shreaks her face lights up with glee. Just a slight stretch of the foot to the right barely touching his leg sparks a litany of whines, protests and complaints from his half of the bed. My mom suggests putting a pillow between them but she has a whole artillary of ammunition. If she scissor-kicks her legs up and down just a half inch above the bed, but with a high enough frequency, this causes the sheets and the covers to move up and down like waves on the ocean and can knock her big brother out of that pre-REM state to wakefulness. It's almost as fun as Christmas morning and brings as much satisfaction as watching your lab rat go through the maze correctly to get to the cheese. Once she has completed that task on her agenda (big-brother torturing) she moves on to grandmother mocking. My mom, her grandmother, has fallen asleep much faster than the target-brother. She lets out occasional snores and my daugher, knowing what this sound is, keeps asking, "What is that?" and then laughs hysterically. Whether she bores of her sadistic activities or just tires out, she finally falls asleep.

Once again I've stayed up much later than I intented to just to have some time to myself. Huddled over the computer in the dark at nearly midnite, this is about the only way I can have a small little slice of time that is just my own. I can be alone with my own thoughts without any interruption and I so cherish that luxury. This is my way of recharging and the sleeplessness is nothing that can't be fixed in the morning by a Grande Latte from Starbucks. Even though this is the mental equivalent of channel surfing, it's like eating the last bite of something really yummy that you've waited for all day. I'm savoring every morsel before I turn out the lights and hug my little bed bugs (who are huddled together as tightly as they were trying to stay apart).

"Sing a Song" by Third Day

verse: I want to sing a song for You, Lord
Lord, for You I want to sing a song
And I want to lift my voice to Heaven
And listen to the angels sing along

chorus: A song of Your faithfulness
A song of Your grace
And of Your loving kindness
To the glory of Your name
With everything that's in me, Lord
Listen to me say
I want to sing a song for You
I want to sing a song

verse: I want to live my life for You, Lord
Lord, for You I want to live my life
And I want to praise the name of Jesus
And Pray above all things You're glorified

go to chorus

And I sing about Your mercy
And I sing about Your love
Your goodness, Lord
Your righteousness
I want to sing...
go to chorus

And we'll sing holy, holy, holy
We'll sing holy, holy, holy
We'll shout holy, holy
Are You Lord almighty