Can we talk, just for a moment, about mornings?
I so very much struggle with mornings.
I do.
I can do it if I have to, obviously. I was a ropes instructor for years, which often required 5am set-up times. I can do it. But those first 5 minutes are brutal. It has always taken me a good 60 minutes to warm up to the idea of starting a day. Conversation? Not my strong point immediately after rolling out of bed. And, I do roll.
Midnight feedings? 2am feedings? I can do it. Just let me go back to bed and wake up slowly.
How does your day start?
Here’s a look at a fairly regular weekday morning (subject to change in an instant):
0500 Abby cries… and then cries FOR REAL… and I run downstairs to give her a small bottle
0510 IF Abby is still crying and getting more serious about waking the house up, I give her a small bottle which tides her over for another couple hours
0615 Curt’s alarm goes off, several times
0630 Curt gets up, Curt goes to the kitchen, Curt eats a bowl of cereal
0630.5 Rylie scampers across the hall and into Curt’s spot in bed
0637 Curt takes a shower, I prompt Rylie to get dressed
0640 Curt gets dressed, Ry heads into the bathroom to brush her teeth
0645 Curt and I beg Ry to eat something, which she does not… and why would you at the break of dawn? I can’t eat before 10am, myself.
0650 I re-ponytail Ry’s hair; there are tears
0655 Curt puts on his coat and brushes his teeth
0658 Curt and Ry give me a kiss and head to the bus stop (4 minutes from home)
You could set your watch by Curt’s routine. I hope God Above is prepared for Curt’s routine(s). Who am I kidding? He probably sets his own watch by Curt’s routine.
0702 IF Gus Man hears the front door shut, our day begins and I am finally, completely out of bed. Not out of pjs… just out of bed.
0800 IF Gus Man sleeps through the earlier departure, Abby usually wakes up now
0900 IF Gus Man has been sleeping, he will be up now and moooooaning for food
*
So, what should happen is I should get up at 0615. I should be the grown-up and get my feet on the ground before any small terrorists start breathing on me and “snuggling.” I should get up and make my way to the kitchen… or the couch… and just sit. It would kill about an hour of my day… an hour of fake waking-up, non-restful lounging. It would get me up and perhaps half a step ahead of the children. It’s what I should do.
Why, pray tell, why does that thought make me cry?
Help me. It’s a new year full of new possibilities. But this may require a miracle and a bit of luck.
What do your mornings look like?
Pssst: if you’re reading this in a reader and don’t see Ry’s face in the right column, be sure to click out for a second and see our family’s New Year’s Eve photos HERE. We went bowling. There was much hilarity.
January 3rd, 2013 at 7:38 am
Don’t hate me, Katie, but I am usually a “morning” person. Altho I’ve noticed over the years that my mornings are keenly affected by the nights that preceded them. When I’m in a habit of staying up late, I sleep later.
I cannot face the day with any kind of decorum without a little time to myself before everyone else is up, but this can be extremely difficult when kids are small. So for what it’s worth, I think you should cut yourself some slack and just go with it.
OR, ir you really really really want to change… pray about this. Earnestly. Pray every day, and ask a few people to pray with you. In my limited experience (as an old lady who has tried changing herself both ways—by herself, and with supernatural help), I highly recommend it.
Thanks for your faithfulness in friendship and writing. Happy New Year!
luv,
c
ps Rylie is super cute with that bowling ball. awesome.
January 4th, 2013 at 9:02 am
I do not hate you… but I understand you less
The thought of time to myself is GLORIOUS. But the thought of getting up early… of pulling myself out of bed… well, sometimes it scares me.
I shall continue with the praying for a change in heart.
January 3rd, 2013 at 9:43 am
I have to get up before my kids, because I’m much like you, I need that extra time to wake up. I have a morning bird who wakes up thinking, ready to ask questions like “could we make a spy plane that looks like a cloud?” & I need to respond with something intelligent other than “me need coffee”.
At 18 months, my kids knew that I left bowls & boxes of cereal on the table for them, and put milk in smaller kid-size containers in the fridge so that they can help themselves in the morning. They seemed VERY motivated to do this, because it made them feel like a big kid, and the dog would clean up anything they spilled on the floor. They also knew what button to press on the coffee maker, and they knew if they ate breakfast themselves, they could watch TV while I was still waking up, so it was a win-win situation while I enjoyed a semi-peaceful shower.
At 23 months, Cass would get a bottle for her younger brother, and the children were constantly praised for being such good helpers & being so very independent.
Now they are school age & need those reminders “did you put your lunch bag into your backpack?” so I’m up at 4:30 so that when they get up & are ready to leave, I am fully awake. I have given up on night-time TV, and yes, I LOVE my 9pm bedtime.
January 4th, 2013 at 9:04 am
There is something wired in Ry that simply will not allow her to be more that 1 foot away from me at any time unless her grandfather is around. Gus Man can play alone… he always has… but Ry is a different tale. But I hear you I HEAR YOU on the 9pm bedtime
If only I could get the baby to sleep through the night, then we would be 50% closer to rest.
January 3rd, 2013 at 10:29 am
On school days, I get up at 5:30 in order to shower and have my quiet time with God before anyone else is up. On non-school days I have my alarm set for 6 and usually hit the snooze a few times. Since Carol and I have both been diagnosed with diabetes (Type 2), we exercise for 20 – 30 minutes before she gets on the bus to go to school every day.
January 4th, 2013 at 9:06 am
Heather, I hope that time with C is so very sweet for you! I’m sorry it revolves around diabetes, but way to be there for her (and YOU) and do it together
January 3rd, 2013 at 5:40 pm
Curt and I are two peas in a pod my morning schedule is regimented. But that’s because I have to go to work. If I didn’t work I believe we would had a different conversation. I’ve carved out time in the early morning for devotions and prayer during the last few months and that has been a great bonus for my life and day.
January 4th, 2013 at 9:08 am
It’s a work thing for Curt, certainly… but I don’t think he functions correctly if things get out of whack. Say, for example, I FORCED him to shower before eating. I’m pretty sure our roof would blow up. It’s also and efficiency thing. Kid can tell you the quickest and BEST way to do anything. ANYTHING.
January 3rd, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Dude.. I am a “by the light” riser.. in the summer I am up with the sun. In the winter it is a struggle. real struggle. My schedule:
5:45 Coffee maker grinds the beans.. Cuisenart Grind & Brew. It will change your life.
5:55 Alarm where Russ gets up, brings me a cup of coffee & showers, I check my work email & calendar and sometimes Facebook.
6:15 I shower
6:25 I get dressed proceeding to change about two times because I cannot match. Thank God for Russ.. he always helps me figure it out.
6:30 Dry the hair, do teeth, apply lotion, put on my watch & badge
6:40 pack my lunch, make to go cup of coffee
6:45 out the door & at work by 7am.
January 4th, 2013 at 9:09 am
I need to check the showering time… I think I’ve moved a few minutes unintentionally
It does take Curt longer than 3 minutes… but minus the coffee (and Russ), your morning is the same as the boy’s. Another reason for him to love you.
January 3rd, 2013 at 8:22 pm
I’m a lot like you, girl. Even though no kiddos to care for anymore, never, NEVER did I ever beat my kids out of bed. ALWAYS took my shower with them running free in the house or bathroom, or with an infant sitting just outside the shower curtain. Crazy, I know. YET, once I’m out of bed I’m 100% awake. But how do I get there is the problem. Love that SNOOZE button.
January 4th, 2013 at 9:09 am
the shower with them running free…
yes.
That is this house… but they are usually standing in-between the shower curtain and the clear liner trying to talk to me about SOMETHING. OR, Gideon is half-naked begging to join me but can’t get his shirt off.
January 7th, 2013 at 2:40 am
I have to say Amen to all the “Let’s sleep late, please” crowd. Couldn’t get myself outta bed in the morning. Ever. Knew once kindergarten started that something had to change. Turns out, it was thyroid meds that did the trick. Now, I’m not saying I’m up at the crack of dawn, but I am saying that—miraculously—Clark comes in and wakes me up at 7 am and I can GET OUT OF BED and NOT WANT TO CRAWL BACK IN.
January 8th, 2013 at 10:15 am
Kids forced the wake-up change for me. My introversion requires down time before they start in on me, so I wake up early and drink a LARGE cup o’ joe and read. IF one or both wakes up early and joins me, I try to act happy about it, but make cranky comments in my mind. Usually, though, after the coffee and a little sitting time, I’m ready to be Mom.