WHY-Wednesday: Why I wake before my kids do?

Yes, I really, really, really do wake up before my kids do.

Every.Single.Day.

Monday through Sunday.

At 6 AM.

No exceptions.

And will continue to do so until the day I die.

Best thing I do all day.  PERIOD.

Emma does not get out of bed until her light clock turns green at 7:15 AM, and Baby Byron can normally stay in his crib until that time on most mornings.  He may need some intervention every now and then-- nurse, turn on his mobile, change his diaper, etc.  But most often than not, I can get him to stay in his crib until 7:15 AM as well.

But why, why, whyyyy do I do this?

Let me take you back in time a little--

Eight+ months ago, our sweet little second-born blessed our lives with his presence.  Baby Byron turned my (what seemed to me to be) perfect world upside down.  I was now constantly tired and unable to sleep when I wanted to, had no guaranteed down time, I was resentful towards my children and my life in general, I could never do anything in peace, my house was always a mess, etc etc etc.

One Friday, while having lunch with some friends, I asked one of my mama friends, who is the mother of three young boys and whose husband is a medical resident (aka-- she is a single mother), if things ever got easier.  

She said:  "No, I still feel like I am constantly sucking for air."

Me:  (great!)

Friend:  "I've just have had to come to terms with that fact, and I better just learn to be good at it.  You know?  Something that has helped me a lot is to wake up before my kids do."

And that was that.  No explanation, no reason why.  She just said it and that was that.

In desperation, I decided to try it the following day.  

Alarm went off at 6:05 AM, got out of bed, did my own thing until 7:15 AM, and have never once looked back.

The thing with waking up before the kids do, is that it gives you control over one thing in your life-- your wake up time.  There is absolutely nothing worse (for me) than being woken up by someone else.  I can tolerate the alarm clock better than a child simply because they at least have a snooze button.

It also gives you time in the morning to lunge around in your slippers, drink a cup of coffee, read, plan your day, send some emails, write some letters, have your quiet time, journal, etc.  The sky is the limit.

Think I'm crazy?  Give it a try.  I dare you to :)  And let me know how it goes... :)