Inside Out and Upside Down

I think my friend and colleague Max the hamster has it right - he spends his winter days alternating between snoozing, munching and working very hard to get his bed set up just right, just the way he wants it. For some reason, in the winter months, this bed making process seems to require more work, probably owing to the fact that more bedding makes for more warmth. Some days, Max's bed is so high in the air that he reminds me of that story "The Princess and the Pea".

I'm envious of Max's nesting - I'd like to spend my winter days gathering my family close, cooking them warm soup at lunch and tucking them in for an early bed time. School and practice schedules seem to create havoc with my nesting instinct however, and today I think we're dealing with the repercussions of too much activity and too little nesting.

Son number two is home on the couch, sick from school with an upset tummy and a bad headache.

Son number one is at school, but got there in a very disheveled fashion with a last minute stint at the laptop to complete a forgotten assignment.

These are not boys who normally have problems with school or getting things completed as required...but we had a crazy weekend and three late nights in a row.

At the gym this morning, I was talking with my workout buddy about the need to reinforce some bedtime rituals around my home. Things have been a little fast and loose lately, so I think it's time to go back to basics.

Sleep, at any age, is critical to good health and a positive mental attitude. For today's "Daily Dose of Health" I'm offering the following link, to the National Sleep Foundation and its many resources. When son number one, the lawyer in training, questions me during my planned discussion with him this afternoon, I am going to point him to this site's section on sleep and teens and invite him to do a little research before he tries to debate me.

In the mean time, my bedding is in the washer being cleaned and prepared for an early bed time tonight - I think Max would be proud of me!