Growing very sleepy....

It's like Russian roulette.

My phone, sitting silent and black on my desk Friday, lit up with a number I didn't recognize. Oh, no, I thought. It's either a teacher, an interview subject I forgot I gave my number to, or a wrong number. Please be a wrong number!

Spin goes the chamber. And BANG!

"Hello, Ms. Kaylor?"

Crap. "This is Ms. so and so, Chris's teacher. He's been sleeping in my class and it's starting to affect his grades."

Christopher's defense sounded logical to me: "But I'm tired, and chemistry is boring." But logic won't help him earn back the A/B honor roll, and thus the weekday XBox, TV and Facebook privileges.

Since he seems to be getting enough sleep at night and not taking medications that make him drowsy, could I please take him to the doctor to make sure nothing was wrong with him? the teacher pleaded.

We already had a (totally useless) scheduled appointment for a physical this morning so he can play baseball, and we quickly found out we only needed the forms, not an appearance. But "since we're already here", he got a shot and a flu vaccine ("Gee, thanks, Mom") and we talked to the doctor about his sleep problems -- which are apparently caused by being a teenage boy.

And then the doctor said something that nearly scared the pants off of me.

If he's having a growth spurt, he will just need more sleep. And you can expect that to continue until he's 21.

I'm not worried about the sleep. Did I mention my child is 6'2...and only 15??

We looked just looked at each other. When he hit a size 13 shoe a year ago, his available shoe selection dropped by half at our usual shoe store. And then I started laughing, a pitiful, helpless laugh as I watched visions of dollar signs, special order stores and 7-foot measuring tapes swirl around his head. Heck, he's already taller than most men I know! Hand me downs? Not since he was about 10!!

"I'm going to to have to learn to sew your clothes and cobble your shoes!" I wailed.

We both cracked up.

I'll figure something out. How do I know? Because I always do. Because for a while, at least, we can still find clothes that fit him. Because I can't have a 7-foot naked kid walking around. Because I'm not as dumb as my kids give me credit for.

The Proof: The doctor continued through his recommendations for curing class slumber: at least 9 hours of sleep per night; no caffeine in the evening; no TV, radio or vigorous exercise within a couple of hours of bed; and maybe some type of caffeine in the morning to get him going.

"Wow, Mom," Christopher said after the doctor left the room. "Everything he said, you had already told me."

And look at that. I didn't even go to medical school!