The Sleepless Years

If you find yourself wakened by tiny hands pinching your face and an excited voice asking for lollipops for breakfast, your head pounding, your eyes heavier than should be possible, and an aching body, you may have woken into my life. No you did not go partying last night, this is not a nasty hang over, this is just your typical morning. Don't worry, if you just push through the pain and fog, get a pot of coffee on, and feed the blurry little monkeys hanging on your arms and legs, you've made it past the biggest hurdle. You know the caffeine has kicked in when the little monkeys transform into two little boys. Your boys. Yes, that's right, you have kids. This fact never goes unnoticed, but most days it still surprises you. There will be many more normal everyday surprises throughout each day. In fact, you may be smelling one right now. Yeah that smell coming from the cute little chubby one? That's your responsibility. Don't worry, these things no longer phase you.

Each day you are reminded how desperately you need to get to bed earlier, so that despite the many times you are woken in the night, you are still able to get out of bed before your children. There are many reasons for this: 1) It's easier to get up as a sane person when you have time to adjust to the conscious world without a little boy talking to you a million words per minute, asking for 10 things at a time, while you are trying not to trip over him on your way to change your 7 month old, whose wet diaper has once again leaked through his PJs, is hungry, and wants to be held. 2) It is much more convenient to be up in time to say "No cookies for breakfast" before your 3 year old helps himself to 3 large ones, is covered in crumbs, and bouncing off the walls in a sugar high (the sugar crash is even more fun). 3) Coffee is much more enjoyable when you are actually able to drink it, and if the caffeine kicks in before the little ones get up, that's a bonus-- add some reading and meditation and you've accomplished half your goals for the day already! Of course it would be a lot easier to go to bed early if your 7 month old would go to bed before 10:30, and if you didn't require time with your husband or to yourself (now wouldn't that make raising kids a whole lot easier?).

This very well could have been my only goal for the year (sleep). If reached it would make me just as satisfied as all other goals combined. Also might make reaching other goals more possible.