Sleep

Commodities like bread and milk are things people generally wait to buy until it is needed.  But head to the South before the threat of a snowstorm and you will find the shelves and fridges empty.  So it is thoroughly disappointing for those unfortunate few who don't pay attention to the weather forecast and go for their regular purchase, only to find the bowl of cold cereal they were so looking forward to the next morning will just have to wait a few more days until the panic subsides.

Sleep is a commodity.  A precious, priceless commodity.  A taken-for-granted kind of commodity you don't appreciate until you can't get any.  And, like that bowl of cereal without milk, you can do without it every once in a while.  But there comes a time when all reason becomes obsolete and the only thing you can do is rush to the next grocery store and run with elbows flying to that last glorious carton of 1% goodness, knocking down everyone else in the process because gosh darnit - YOU JUST WANT A BOWL OF CEREAL!!!!

Okay, I'm done with the analogy.  Baby Boy is teething, or something horrible.  I haven't had a good night's sleep in days and last night was the piece de resistance.  Screaming, crying, more screaming, Mommy pleading, rocking, massaging, giving Tylenol, Orajel, Mylicon, then Mommy covering her ears for TWO hours of constant crying, one in the crib and the other in bed with Mommy, and finally a blessed hour and a half of sleep before the rest of the kids woke up.  Followed by a day of crying, screaming, not wanting to be held, but crying until you hold him, and refusing to take any nap.  OH MY GOODNESS!

I don't think you could put a price tag on something like sleep.  What would you pay?