I am not a morning person. No, wait, I'll rephrase that. I am so not a morning person! I am a night owl. This is by virtue of the fact that, since the age of thirteen or so, I have been a chronic insomniac. Being up most of the night (I am typing this sitting in my pajamas, wide awake when I should be sweetly dreaming) doesn't really allow for a bright and happy morning!
I cannot even speak when I first wake up. Really. It is physically impossible. No matter how hard I try to form words, all I can muster is the kind of half-hearted "ugggghh" that any cave woman worth her salt would be proud of. Luckily, after seven years of this, Chipmunk (my 7yo) can now interpret these grunts according to intonation and pitch.
He really is a talented child!
Because of this, I love the school holidays - and the longer the better! They say the culture shock of going back to school is hard for kids to adjust to. I say it's a darn sight harder for the parents!
Think about it:
- We have to get up at least half an hour before the kids do.
- We have to organise ourselves, as well as everyone else in the house - not one of my strong points, I'll admit.
- We are responsible for getting out of bed in the first place, especially if we have young children. They can say "Mummy forgot to get up this morning" without the teacher looking at them as if they've lost the plot. I can't see me getting away with saying the same thing. No, I haven't tried it! Not yet...
All the children have to do is wake up, get dressed and eat whatever is put in front of them. And they have it tough? I think not!
Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the time I get to myself when Chipmunk is at school. It gives me the opportunity to write, or read, or get lost on a walk with my camera. I can think clearly, without interruption, for more than two minutes at a time. I value my time alone.
I am also aware that some might consider me lucky. I don't have the time constraints of a job to worry about (although I often miss the structure that such a timetable brings). I only have one child to manage in the mornings - although with his particular needs (he is autistic and has some physical disabilities) this can often be a challenge!
And I will accept that, by the time we're ready to hit the road, I'm usually doing a pretty good job of looking like I'm awake. I can often even string more than three words together fairly coherently - honestly, you would be impressed!
Part of my problem is that Chipmunk's school is a few miles away, on a heavy-traffic route, which necessitates leaving earlier than we otherwise might have to. But on a really bad day, I know I can go home, set the alarm, and fall into an unconscious heap on the bed until it's time to go and pick Chipmunk up again!
That doesn't happen often, by the way.
Honest.
So really, I guess the whole 'getting-up-early-for-school' thing isn't actually that bad, when you think about it. That said, I still can't wait for Christmas...
A little about bubbleboo:
bubbleboo blogs at The Thought Bubble and is working on her photography portfolio. In the meantime, you can find her pictures on .
bubbleboo is a Shutterbug. She can usually be found with her camera glued to her left eye.
She is a Writer. Always working to better her writing and be published one day!
She is a Mum. And what could be more important than that?
bubbleboo is a SAHM and carer to one amazing little boy who is dealing with Asperger’s and various physical limitations.
Other than writing and photography she enjoys music, playing acoustic guitar, reading {voraciously!}, walking and going to the gym {when she has the energy!}