Mornings are hard for me, always have been. My mom once told my college roommate, "Don't talk to her before she talks to you in the morning" and my roommate said it was the best advice anyone has ever given her. Not that I'm a monster in the morning. I just have to wake up before I can function on any level. I grunt a lot, move slowly, basically do my best sloth impression. And since having kids, that hasn't really gotten any better. So one day, a little over a year ago, I had a decision to make: Sleep in until the kids wake me up and be monster mom OR Set an alarm and get up before they do and be a much more functional mom. As hard as it was, I decided to set the alarm. And every day, I hit the snooze button way too many times, but somehow always get my tush out of bed before the little guys. I make a pot of coffee, check email, play a few games on Facebook, and if I'm lucky, get a little peace and quiet time where I can wake up before the little monsters - I mean, darlings - get out of bed. During the fast paced days, crammed with squabbles and playdates and all things crazy, it's easy to get all amped up. These little moments of quiet, time just for me, are a necessary part of my life that even now, I'm just starting to appreciate.
