Quiet time.

Kids do funny things to a person. I have always been a night owl. It's hard, however, when the bus comes at seven, so the kids are up at six, and they need someone to herd them along. Lately, Kyle and Mark, our friend/partner in crime, have been working evenings in the office. They are productive and cheerful, but they make it impossible for me to get anything done. I have recently taken to retiring early, then getting up insanely early to work on lesson plans or other projects. I absolutely hate rolling out of bed, though my body has acclamated to the schedule. Once I am upright, I really enjoy the quiet of the house while everyone else is asleep. The pre-dawn hush, then the slow awakening of the outside world brings a nice transition to my day. The birds are obnoxiously cheerful some days, but it forces me to adjust my attitude some mornings. Its hard to be cranky with incessant chirping in my ear; sometimes I just crack up because of the irony. The downside to all this is that I get tired so early in the evening. Now that there is more light, it should be easier for me to stay awake. I have accepted this shift to "morning person" with stoicism. I try to view it as a natural part of aging. I just know that if I want to stay up and play with the big people, I need to take a nap.