This Chinese scroll was a gift Ashley gave me when she came back from her trip through Asia back when we started dating. It’s a reference to a Barenaked Ladies song, titled “Who Needs Sleep?”, which was a song Ashley sent to me after we had spent several long nights talking and getting to know each other (at this point no smooching had occurred…just talking…I swear!). The scroll is meant to say, “Who needs sleep?” but it literally translates to say, “The people do not need sleep,” which is a much more communist China way to say it.

When Chandler first came home with us there were several things in the house that really drew his attention. This scroll is one of them. (Come to think of it, another thing he loves to stare at is the Chinese paper lanterns hanging in our bedroom. Maybe he loves China!) Every morning when we bring him down to the living room he will usually turn and look at the scroll. Seeing the scroll always brings a smile to his face. It’s almost as if he is reading it and saying, “Yes…yes indeed! The people do not need sleep. They do not need anything that even remotely resembles sleep. And while I’m at it they don’t need free time or clothing that isn’t covered in drool. I’ll tell you what they need. They need poop stains, late nights, and early mornings. And occasionally I’ll throw them a smile or two to keep them happy. Stupid people. They do not need sleep.”

Okay, now I’ve got this image of my son becoming an evil dictator who takes over the world. If that happens I hope he buys us a new house or something.