I didn’t get enough…

I didn't get enough sleep last night. I was talking to Kev, which is good, but still, not enough sleep is disastrous for my brain. I managed to teach my classes (luckily they were early) and then watch my kids for the rest of the day (Kev has a work dinner tonight so will be in late). But what's interesting to me is that while there have actually been chunks of time later in the day when I could have either done academic work or writing (when the kids were actually playing together nicely on another floor and not injuring each other), I just didn't have the brainpower to do it. Couldn't think straight enough for any sustained mental work. (Reposting things on Facebook doesn't count. :-)

But interestingly, I DID have the ability to do housework. So two loads of laundry, all the dishes, clothes put away, various other tasks got done, despite exhaustion -- they could essentially be done on autopilot, putting one foot in front of the other. Along with snapping at the children a bit more than usual, in a slightly louder voice. I ended up thinking about women a few generations ago, and how much more domestic labor they had to do, without various machines (and with several more children due to lack of birth control). And I wonder whether some of them were just too physically exhausted to pursue intellectual pursuits, even if they would have wanted to.

I wish I could ask my grandmother about it.