Family gets little rest at sleepover

There's nothing like a daughter's sleepover birthday party to make you appreciate a little rest.

Our oldest daughter, Becca, celebrated her 12th birthday last weekend with a sleepover with seven of her closest friends.

We didn't want our 8-year-old, Bailey, to be left out, so we let her have a friend over, too.

Watching a bunch of girls make lip gloss is not a pretty sight.

At any rate, Becca and her friends had a great time camping out in our finished basement while Bailey and her friend hung out in an upstairs bedroom.

Becca asked her friends to bring pet food and other pet supplies as gifts to donate to the local Humane Society shelter.

Of course, Becca's real birthday is later this week and I'm sure she wants a present from us that won't appeal to a cat or dog. Still, Joni and I are proud of her desire to help those shelter animals.

It may be one sign that Becca's growing up. Of course, what was most noticeable about the birthday party was the fact that Becca largely ignored her parents.

We weren't needed. She didn't even ask us to cut the cake. She did it all by herself.

Joni and I spent part of the evening watching television shows and feeling totally out of place.

It didn't seem like a birthday party to us. Becca, however, was perfectly happy to run the show.

Joni suggested activities from time to time, but the girls seemed content to play foosball in the downstairs game room, watch a movie and scream loudly.

It was well after midnight when the gang finally went to sleep.

Bailey, of course, had to be up early Saturday for a recreational basketball game. I brushed off the lack of sleep -- I crashed later -- and managed to get her to her 8:15 a.m. game with a few minutes to spare.

As we were leaving home, Becca and some of her girlfriends arose from their brief slumber to munch on some breakfast doughnuts.

By Saturday afternoon, all the guests were gone. I was ready for a nap.

Joni relaxed by going shopping.

Bailey didn't take a nap. By the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday, she was crabby.

She did finally take a nap which made the subsequent football party at a friend's home much more enjoyable.

Still, by Sunday night I was ready for a vacation from my busy weekend.

I don't think Punxsutawney Phil or any of his groundhog cousins would like our busy weekends.

They probably don't like it that we interrupt their winter rest for a weather report.

Those who didn't get enough sleep this weekend probably missed Groundhog Day entirely.

It's just as well. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. According to tradition, that means six more weeks of winter.

The prediction drew boos from thousands of people who gathered in 17-degree weather on Monday for the 118th annual festivity.

Forget the Super Bowl halftime show, it's stuff like this that really gets tourism officials excited and those parents now stuck on the sidelines of their kids' birthday bashes.

Mark Bliss is a Southeast Missourian staff writer.