Hi ho, hi ho..it's off to school they go...

Contrary to the title of this blog, I am not a morning person. I have never been a morning person & it's looking like I never will be... When my kids were babies and I had to get up early (before 7am is early for me - before 6am is still nighttime) for feedings and diaper changes I would sleep-walk through those pre-dawn hours and then put my darlings (& myself) back to sleep for a few more hours. When they started school it was a whole new ballgame. My kids attend a K-8 Catholic School, so they are both heading to the same place in the mornings. They have to be at school by 7:40 which means that they have to leave home by 7:15 which means that my alarm clock starts trying to wake me up at 6:20am. I am one of those people who needs to hit the snooze button for twenty minutes or I just can't get myself out of bed. My husband (The Big Guy) is not one of those people. He hops out of bed on the weekends pre-5am for golf and moves right along. Since he works nights, he sleeps in most mornings and my "perpetual alarm" as he calls it, is one of those little things that I'm sure he will list on the divorce papers someday... anyway, as the Momma (some might say "control freak", I say Type "A "gal) I have taken on the total responsibility for getting the kids off to school in the mornings...with as nutritious a lunch as I can manage... So with coffee mug in hand and a fake smile on my face I begin the job of waking up the darlings. My darling son (Big boy) hates mornings like his Momma. It takes several return trips to his bedroom, threats (that he doesn't hear because he's still asleep) and finally, the stripping of his covers off his bed to get him moving. Once he's moving he's slow & quiet. He doesn't even speak to us until he's eaten his oatmeal & finished half of his cuppa Sunny D'. My darling daughter (Little girl) on the other hand is just like The Big Guy. She wakes up happy & smiling and ready to talk & talk & talk... It was after the darlings had left for school one rainy fall morning when I had an epiphany. I realized that contrary to all of the complaining, rushing & grumblings of the morning (mostly by me), I really love getting up early with the darlings. I love to watch the dark house come to life as lamps are lit, I love watching the sleepy, pj clad darlings greet a new day. As I reflected on my new found zen-like love for all things morning, I realized that being the darlings' "mom in the morning" wasn't as bad as I thought... I just wish it could start at around 9am....