The kids are exhausted, their fears overcome by sleep sometime before dawn.

I peel myself carefully out of our inter-twined limbs.

An urgent call of nature beckons and I dare not wait.

A whimper and I freeze, holding my breath and my water. "Please fall back to sleep," I think to myself pleadingly. "I just need a minute to pee, and maybe find a moment's sanity."

When he groans and rolls to my left, I let out a sigh for my son's ability to sleep through anything. "Oh, thank heavens."

As my husband shoots me an inquiring look, and I answer with a silent nod, he, too rolls back over to snooze some more.

It was a long night.

The bones in my knees crack like young knuckles as I stand, arching my back. "Arahuhhh," I whine quietly, stretching some blood back into my muscles.

The air is cool, slipping quickly across my damp cheeks as I drop my sand-stained drawers. The humidity is already beginning to creep in, but for now, it's still somewhat nice.

As my bladder empties I relax for the first time in many hours.