Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Oh nine, oh nine, oh nine

What a great date.

Anyhow, the verdict is in.

Survey says: nope. I know, I was expecting to come back here and say I was converted to early morning rising. I was going to say the benefits were overwhelming and I couldn't deny that it was the superior lifestyle. I wasn't sure I was going to say I would keep doing it necessarily, but that I had to admit it was oh-so productive and well, made me feel like one of those "good" moms.

But alas, day one found me on the couch by 5pm in a thoughtless stupor. After an extended time of such behavior, even Ryan was perturbed by my dysfunction and I was begging for bedtime by 8 o'clock. Day two found me standing in the kitchen at 6:30am staring aimlessly into the refrigerator trying to figure out the mixed signals of my confused body. I was hungry. But there is really nothing that sounds appealing at that hour. But I choked down some food and tried to get something started on the computer while listening to the wailing of my baffled stomach trying to digest when it was still wondering why it was awake.

Let's just get the cons out, shall we?

- I really felt I was complicating my life. I know, you would think it would be the opposite, but having alone time, I felt I should be getting done all these projects I wouldn't otherwise be doing. None of them were successful. I'm still undecided about the blog books. I'm still refusing to believe that after all the effort I spend getting them formatted the way I want on the blog that I have to go through that all again to make a book. But I tried to start them multiple times. And then I'd still be working on them when the kids got up so I'd throw them in front of the tv with some cereal and try to keep sneaking in to work on more stuff. I didn't feel like a better mom. I tried making videos and tried out all the software we have on our computer, tried to download some others, and took a long time realizing I didn't have a really good program I felt like working with yet. So that was another dead end. So then I just felt like I was wasting a lot of time, effort and patience trying to get into stuff that I wouldn't have been doing if I'd just been, well, asleep.

- I ate more!! This was frustrating. If you eat breakfast at 6:30 rather than 8:30 or 9 like I usually do, you're starving by like 10am! So then anywhere we would go, I'd be sitting there rooting through the diaper bag and snarfing down all the kids treats, looking like a total pig in front of all our friends. So basically I felt like I was adding in at least another meal and all those extra calories that I wouldn't have been eating if I was, well, asleep.

- Having realized early on that my body just doesn't function for exercising in the morning, I'd still plan on exercising at night, only to find my energy totally depleted and my mind frantically wanting to just get to bed already. So I'm pretty sure that overall I exercised less than I usually do.

- I don't know, by the end I felt like I was just wasting time; like I was up just for the sake of being up. And I never waste time. I like to be efficient. And sleep is definitely on my list as an efficient use of time. Especially when all my projects dead-ended and I'd be cursing being awake on those rare days when the kids actually sleep really late. What in the world was I doing up??

- BUT. We must be fair and include the pros. Or pro. I will say it was much more pleasant waking up to kisses instead of cries. My children never wake up happy, and it does start the day off on a much better tone not to feel forced awake by screaming. Ryan made good on the romance and I was awakened by kisses every morning (well, however romantic morning-breath kisses can be), and got good hugs before he left for work. It was almost even worth it just to watch him triumphantly flipping on light switches everywhere he went just because he could. Almost worth it. Yeeeeahhhh, it feels a little bad saying he didn't win though. :)

Although now I'm wondering what I've done to myself - starting next week we will have stuff to be to at 9am 4 mornings out of the week. Gasp. I'm pretty sure we've never made it anywhere by 9am! I'm really excited though that someone I know has decided to do a little preschool for the kids for three hours, two mornings a week. Exactly what I was looking for! So that will be great. And then we just found this little sports activity morning that Cash is going to do with one of his little buddies that I'm really excited for. And then we have playgroup the other morning. And now I'm a little worried - isn't this my last year before I actually have to get the kids up and somewhere - for the rest of my life?? Kids go to voluntary pre-K here at age 4, so Cash will start that next fall 5 days a week, and then every day from then on out I have to get up and get kids out! So we'll see what I think after next week - I'm not sure I can hack it, and my sleeping in may be done with anyway.

And yes, Ryan, I do have greater appreciation for your long days. Thank heavens we both don't have to have days like that, huh??

10 comments:

Jess said...

I don't think I'd be able to handle it either.
Although my oldest just started 4 year old kindergarten(it's a Wisconsin thing)but she is afternoon. I like that it kind of warms you up to getting your kid somewhere every day, but not early. Next year, she'll be all day in 5 year old kindergarten. 8:15-3:05. Crazy.

liz said...

you're too cute, loved your experiment.

but i truly had to post to tell you today was my first day allowin myself to take a nap- the two littlest were down for a nap and the oldest was at kindergarten. even though school of any sort makes the mornings crazy 9i love to sleep too and wait until i HAVE to wake up even now) you catch better, more sound breaks later in the day. I am just now realizing and taking advantage of those times and it's really nice. i feel sort of like i am cheating. but then realize it's been a l o n g 5 years.

Anonymous said...

Well, that's a relief. I'll go ahead and stop feeling guilty for sleeping in until 7:45 every morning.

Tennille said...

A few thoughts if you decide to continue the experiment or try it again:

No eating that early in the morning. Even when I wake up super early, I don't eat until 8:30ish. My body just can't handle it otherwise.

Since I keep waking up earlier and earlier to keep up with the chaos in my life, I've found that a short nap around 3 is very important. I don't always get it, and if I don't, I can feel the difference. I have NO energy to make dinner and I just want everyone to go away. Well, I usually want everyone to go away anyway, but at least if I take a nap in the afternoon, I have enough energy to handle everything.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't that a fun date today, 09/09/09? I loved it every time I wrote it.

Sounds like good things happened, you learned some good things to do and not to do, and you'll have to do it next week anyway, sort of, but not quite so early. The nap is a very important part of it. Three o'clock is KNOWN to be the time we need a pick-me-up, as it is halfway between our usual waking and going to sleep. Either a snack or a nap.

Have a great weekend!

xoxocyh

LuAnn said...

Way to go giving it a try! I'm sorry it didn't work out for you...or happy for you that you know how important your morning is and you can enjoy sleeping in!

Sharon said...

Soccer with Cash! Soccer with Cash! Soccer with Cash!
I hear this all day!!!

Jenilee said...

Enjoy your sleep Jen.
Glad to hear you found a good preschool for Cash.

Melanie said...

Well you gave it a shot. Sounds like you are looking forward to the places you go to a 9am so that will probably help scoot you along in the morning. Plus Im a big eat in the car mommy. I pack healthy food and H just sits and eats it all since he has nothing else to do. cheese sticks, apple slices, granola bars, dried fruit, and peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Clean up is a snap since its all tuberware and baby wipes. Many of these snacks I pack the night before and put them in my purse all ready to go. Drinkable yogurts are also great.
H starts pre K on wednesday! He is very excited. And so am I!

Melanie said...

In the LaCrosse paper that was a couple that had a baby at 0900 on 9/9/09 and weighed 9lbs! If I hadnt seen the article myself I would not believe it!