Though, I don't know if I believe in angels, I am pretty sure there's a special place - especially, reserved for tired and wigged-out old mommies and daddies, like us - and perhaps most parents would agree. After years of raising kids and killer dust bunnies, it's sort of, you know, hard to find the magic.

[wink, wink]

You know what I'm saying?

[nudge, nudge]

Say no more.

Are they gone, yet?

Okay - we don't want to scare the straights, or anything - but, here's the thing, my husband and I are coming up on our 17th wedding anniversary (next month) and, I have to say, intimacy isn't an issue and there are times when we're both surprised at how, you know, enthusiastic we can get.

Timing, however, has NEVER been on our side and - having four rugrats running up and down our nerves, all day - we've learned never to take a good old fashioned “quickie” for granted, either!

To hell with seven minutes in heaven…give us at least five…and we're good.

But, there are those moments — you know, when kids are in bed, the dishes are done, the cats and dog are down and the moon’s alignment with the shifting tides coincides with our moods — when time and space seems to stop and we have the best gosh-darned meeting of the mine and his, EVUH!

Now, about last night.

[Just so you know, here's where you should click away, Mom!]

Is she gone - can't say I didn't warn her, right!?!?

My SIL was due in, this morning (shhh...she's upstairs, asleep) and Little Man has graciously agreed to give up his room, next to ours, for his favorite Aunt and it has been a while since we, you know, did I mention she'd be sleeping in the room...right...next...to ours!?!

"Are the kids down?"

[giggle]

"Yes...FINALLY!"

I mean, it was well passed 11 and, after having waited a good hour, we turned out the lights, climbed the stairway, kicked the cats off the bed, shut the door, made sure to lock the dog out and found a little piece of heaven.

Until.

KNOCK...KNOCK...KNOCK!!!

[gasping for breath]

"WHAT...YES...WHO IS IT...WHAT'S WRONG!?!"

Honest and true, we just replaced the batteries in the fire alarms and I really didn't think the house was hit by lightening, or anything.

"It's me, Thing Two...and Mini-me...we couldn't sleep...so, we went to the couch...and heard some really weird noises...so, we came upstairs...and...and...all we heard is this...OOOOH....UUUUH....OOOOH!"

Silence.

KNOCK...KNOCK...KNOCK!!!

Busted.

"IS MOMMY ALRIGHT!?!?"

No, I wasn't.

"Duh...um...the air-conditioner...duh...loud...um...the thunder....duh."

In fact, I was absolutely dumbstruck and shocked beyond words, actually and I don't believe I've ever seen my husband so calm, collected and get dressed so fast, in all our years together!

"Yes, she's fine...I was just tickling her and she was laughing so hard, she almost puked!"

Silence.

"You're scaring us, Mommy!"

Heaven knows, they are NOT alone.

"I've been on a plane since 10:30 last night and you guys look more tired, than I do!"

My SIL surprised us early this morning and all I could think about was - besides, cleaning the shmootz out of my eyes, opening the front door and body slamming the dog - thank goodness I had on clean, you know, pajamas!

"Thing Two and me couldn't sweep, because Mommy was noisy and woke-did us up wike, ooooh...uuuuh...ooooh!"

Silence.

"Soooo...I'm guessing I'll be sleeping on the living room couch with Doofus-dog, after all and...um...EWWW!?!?"

[hangs head in shame]

To think, I thought her playing Led Zeppelin backwards sounded weird!

[ducks to avoid lightning bolt]

If anyone needs us, I'll be upstairs dusting off the child safety gates and sound-proofing my room, while my husband reintroduces himself to, you know, taking cold showers!