Just when you need an extra pair of hands....

they appear unexpectedly.

Tonight, I was rushing around getting everyone organized for tomorrow's day. Lunches needed to be made, baths needed to be enforced, muffins made for Gus's 1st grade class, and a birthday cake needed to be baked so that it could cool overnight for Gus's family birthday celebration. Unfortunately, no one told Henry that I was busy. He did not notice that I had very little time to rock him to sleep. In fact, he decided that I had extra time on my hands and decided that we needed to play together in the rocking chair. It was a great game we played: Henry flopping from one side of my body over to the next. His weight pulling down on my shoulders. All the while blinking those big brown eyes at me. It was painfully clear that my insistent rocking and patting rhythm was not working. Even in the dark, I could see the whites of his eyes staring at me, his cooing and gooing sounds pierced the night as if it were 3:00 in the afternoon. After 20 minutes of rocking and patting my
insomniac,I spied the bright red digital clock numbers which flashed 10:30pm. Time was flying by and I still had not made the muffins or birthday cake.

I decided that Mr. Henry would have to go to sleep without me. I placed him in his crib, patted his little shoulder and told him to go "night, night". It was no sooner that I turned toward the bedroom door that Henry made it very clear that he was unhappy with my decision to go downstairs. He cried. Loudly.

I worried that his tantrum would wake his brothers, but they had been asleep long enough to be in heavy dreamland at this point. So, serenaded with King Henry's screams, I continued my work in the kitchen. Muffin mix. (wailing) eggs. (wail. wail. waaaaailllll.) oil (waaaahhhhhhhh) blueberries (screeeeeaaammmm). Mix well.

After about 10 minutes of unrelenting wailing, my youngest child finally quieted down and gave up the hope that I would come back to his crib to rock him. He was finally asleep and I could put my muffins in the oven in peace. After all, he is getting spoiled from all the rocking,holding and kissing he experiences from his parents and siblings. He needs to learn to put himself to sleep. All babies do.

After I washed the dishes, I headed up the stairs to check on his highness. I peaked in the dark room and heard some movement. Fearing that he was getting ready to start wailing again, I heard a faint whisper, "Mom." I could not imagine which boy was calling for me at such an hour. Who was UP?? After a few seconds, I saw a shadow in the rocking chair. It was Nick. He was holding a happy (and very awake) Henry. He was playing the same game with Henry as I had been earlier. "Mom, he was so sad. I had to help him 'cuz he was crying."

Well, just when I needed an extra pair of hands, love appeared in the form of Henry's big brother Nick. What a beautiful sight it was to see my 11 year old rock his baby brother and help me get my jobs done. Good for me, good for Henry, bad for Nick since he's going to be falling asleep in class tomorrow.

I think he would say it was worth it.