Why has the Supernanny never covered the "Java" technique?

For years and years, I have been decaffeinated. It started just after college when I was having horrible stomach issues. An ultrasound showed no issues and the doc's recommendation was to eliminate trigger foods one at a time to possibly identify the problem. It turns out, the offending food group was caffeine. Flash forward about 10 years, one year post-gallbladder-removal and I can enjoy a nice cup of coffee again without doubling over and weeping. Who knew I was such a delicate little flower and could detect an issue before it even shows up.

So last night my husband was out of town on business. Whenever he has these trips I always talk them up in my head. "I'm going to relax after the kids go to bed. Maybe I'll catch up on Lipstick Jungle and Project Runway. Maybe I'll pop in some Sex and the City DVDs. The possibilities are endless!" What actually ends up happening, invariably, is that I work well past my bedtime. Last night was no exception.

I typically like to hit the hay around 10:30 PM. We'll just say I saw AM on the clock before turning in this morning. And as luck would have it, five minutes after getting into bed I hear "Mommy...Mommmmy....MOMMMMMY!!" It turns out the little one wet her bed. :-( I take responsibility because I must have forgotten to ask her to use the potty before going to sleep. Poor kid. I'm kind of pleased I was still up, though, because I was better able to care for my little pee-pee princess with loads of compassion. She was lucky there was extra space in my bed. And believe me when I tell you she used every inch of her allotted amount and some of mine.

I don't recall actually sleeping last night. The alarm was set for 6:00 AM. I set two just in case one malfunctioned. I woke at 5:50 and decided to lay in bed until I heard beeping. What a glorious ten minutes of sleep that was.

Promptly after getting out of the shower, I indulged in a very large cup of freshly ground and pressed coffee. With its assistance, I was able to pack a lunch, get us three girls dressed and fed, and walk this whole crew to school. I was cheerful and efficient. And that's when it hit me. Coffee helps me be a better parent. Sure I'll pass out in a few hours once it's out of my system. Sure it gives me horrible breath for that "one last kiss" before school. And then there's the issue of stained teeth. But it's all good. For today anyway... Tomorrow is Saturday and I'm hopeful a few extra winks of sleep will alleviate the need for my new parenting crutch!

[photo courtesy of http://scienceblogs.com/retrospectacle/2007/08/science_vault_coffee_as_a_cure.php]