Mothers Speak: Rise and Shine
Nov 10If you like this article, please share it with your friends!






Like I said yesterday, if I ever meet the non-parental genius who thought Daylight Savings Time was a bright idea, I have a few choice phrases for him which include:
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU, I CAN ALWAYS PLEAD “INSANITY”!!
The truth is, the hours before the sun came were my sanity until recently when our 2-year-old entered the crib-less stage of his development. Most mornings, I would wake up at 5:30am for a cup of tea, some quiet time, and even the occasional 3-mile run {emphasis on the word “occasional”}. By 7am, I would hear my first-born stirring, which still allowed me 15 minutes to finish a journal entry or a hot beverage because I knew that Salem could occupy himself with books and quiet toys in his crib until we began his day at 7:15am. Caffeine+meditation+ exercise=Happy Mommy. Happy Mommy would burst through her son’s bedroom door all smiles and sunny skies. Happy Mommy blew kisses and belly laughed. Happy Mommy served up the jelly toast with words like “darling”, and “sweetheart” while tickling her children’s cherub faces and pinching her husband’s tush as he scooted past her.
Well, with the combination of toddler bed and Daylight savings, Happy Mommy is looking more and more like Mommy Dearest every day. And as for the jelly toast, when Mia decided to decorate the floor with hers this morning, Mommy Dearest made an all star appearance. It was epic. Academy Award winning actually. Why did Mia throw her toast? Maybe she doesn’t like blackberry jelly. Maybe she’s fasting in prayer. Maybe her otherwise Happy Mommy is channeling one of the Orcs of Middle Earth and she has suddenly lost her appetite. Who knows, but one thing’s for sure… there was no ticking or sunny skies and certainly no tush pinching this morning. No sir-ee. Best hide the wire hangers ’cause Mommy Dearest is alive and well among us.
Two mornings ago, I actually wondered to myself if I could Ty Pennington-rig something that would raise the bars of Salem’s crib so we could keep him in it a bit longer. {Don’t you dare act like you’ve never thought of it yourself or I will personally unsubscribe you to this blog myself!} When I asked Clark if he had ever heard of any sort of “extension” you could put on the crib railings he replied, “Um yes, actually. I believe they are called CAGES!!!!
This had to happen sooner or later, right? I’m well aware that all mommies everywhere have, at some time or another, graduated their babies from a crib to a toddler bed and have thus had to forfeit their morning sacredness. {Unless they do cage their children until their 15 and let them out only when company comes over}.
Hmmm… perhaps I could. {Just kidding. Not really. Sort of.}
I am calling in some reinforcement on this one. How do you stock up on sanity when your children’s needs are ever evolving? How do you prioritize what makes you healthy and inspired and generally nice to be around so to keep your inner- Mommy Dearest from making an un-welcomed appearance? How do you greet your children everyday with pleasantness and presentness and every other –ness that makes home a happy place?
..And if you do cage your kids at night, by all means, reply anonymously.
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