The Tale of a Mattress

When you have a big family, you get hand-me-downs, and you gladly accept them.  I came from a family of eight and I know we survived on them.  I now am the mother and organizer of a family of seven and I am thankful for many things I do not have to purchase.

If you know me, I am also a little bit of a no-nonsense mother when it comes to my children and "ridiculous" behavior can drive me batty.  Cruel, I know, but if something taste bad - you eat it anyway and think of the starving children everywhere.  If something feels uncomfortable, you wear it anyway and be thankful for clothes.  If something seems unfair, you can have different rules when you have your own mortgage.  You get the point?

Our four boys share a room.  When they started to share, Mac was probably two.  We were given bunk beds by two different families and Mac, of course, was given the thin mattress because he was a little guy and it didn't really matter.  Well, that was six years ago.  A mattress possibly used by a previous family for many years?

We've noticed that Mac has ended up in the den sometimes when Jason has put Omar out for his final potty break.  He's been asleep on the couch and Jason and has taken him back to bed.  Then, Thursday morning, Mac had made a bed of blankets on the floor and was sleeping on that when I woke the boys up for school.

Keep in mind, he has never complained about his bed.

"Buddy, what is going on?  Why are you not sleeping in your bed?"  I'm thinking bad dreams.  The boys talk too much (which has been a complaint).

"Because, no matter where I move, a spring pokes me...and I can't sleep."

So, I laid in his bed.  Something, I haven't done in a LONG time.  It was terrible.  Absolutely horrific!  Poor little guy!!!

So, he and I went mattress shopping after allergy shots yesterday and got him a mattress.  Brand new, no hand-me-down.  For Mac!!!

This morning, he came to breakfast and said:  "Mom, I didn't know you could lay down and BOOM, it could be morning, just like that!"  no tossing and turning

I'll just chalk this up to character building and plan on happy, well-rested Mac at the breakfast table from now on.