Grumble.

Well, the kids and I finally trotted off to bed at midnight last night, and they proceeded to march into my room every twenty minutes with some issue or other to be addressed. I finally sent Kayleigh upstars to the sofa, which usually calms her down. Tyler followed her about ten minutes later, and all bets were off. Apparently, two children and a dog can emit a level of noise approximating the circus being in town. Finally got up at 5:AM and gave them a rather irate and sleep deprived lecture on courtesy and the noise level, and how the two are inversely proportionate. I was placated for the moment and tried to go back to bed. And that's when the TV came on at full volume.

Ah, parental folly!

Came upstairs to find that Tyler had lit a candle without permission or adult supervision, so he's on restriction today. If Kayleigh gives me any attitude, she will join him. Yes, I have a short fuse today. Daddy needs his sleep. And if they aren't going to let me have any, then they get to deal with surly daddy. It's early to bed for everyone tonight.

In other news, Caleb came over last night and we watched Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, which was a big hit with Caleb and my first viewing since film class in college. Just as beautiful as I remembered. I can really identify with Antonius Block, the crusader knight played so effectively by Max Von Sydow. After serving an ideal for so long, he returns to find his homeland in disarray and questions the meaning of it all. Wish I'd thought of bluffing Death by knocking over the chess pieces. Maybe Sam and my dad, like the young family in the wagon, could have made a sly getaway and avoided the scythe.