It's 8 a.m. As I type, I hear a clang-clang-clanging, like church bells on a wedding day. It's coming from Katie's room and I know it's her iPod alarm trying to wake her and drag herself to meet the day.
It could be a rough go. I went to bed at 11:00 and she was quietly working at her desk. This morning I found the remains of popcorn in the kitchen, so I know she was up way, WAY late, racing to the finish line of her summer online course, all due TODAY. The other night, as I stood at her desk, she looked up at me and said, "what are you going to do with me, Mom?" Meaning, at 21, she's beginning to get that being her mother hasn't always been crumpets and tea.
Anyway, sleep and kids. Why do they so confound us? As newborns, they shock our sleep patterns by having none of their own. Up at midnight, three and six to feed. Sleep all morning. And a different pattern the next night.
As toddlers they awake with the birds, demanding Cheerios and juice, and we rejoice the day they give us 15 minutes of extra sleep by reaching the Cheerios on their own.
Once kids start school, they instantly become more lethargic in the morning. Three of my four children were utterly slothful. Uncombed hair, unbrushed teeth, and forgotten lunches all characterized mornings in our house. We once had a houseguest (father of two) who sat at our kitchen table on a school morning in the midst of our tornado. "Is it like this every morning?" he asked.
By high school it gets ugly. Most all teenagers are nocturnal. In their complete stupidity, high school authorities set the start of the school day as early as possible. One son would run to the car, shoes and bagel in hand, because he was so late. Differences in sibling readiness were the worst. For four straight years, a battle would rage every morning between siblings: one punctual, one tardy. (You know who you are!) We even received a letter from the school about one of our kids, threatening involvement of children's services for truancy. (ie, too many tardies.)
June 2008 couldn't come soon enough. No more school mornings!
Proverbs 31:28 says "Her children arise and call her blessed." By the end of the school years, I was just thankful if they arose in the morning!
13 comments:
(Chuckling because I know who they are, too, having observed "Mrs Kravitz style" from the front porch.)
hahaha I knew you would!
Haha...funny post. Wait, 3 of 4? Does that mean I am one of them?
Laughing at the letter from the school...never heard about that one. I'm guessing Katie?
If it was me, I definitely don't remember!?!
I just remember the year Dan drove Mark to school. My daily alarm clock was Mark yelling at Dan to wake up.
Ohhhh.... I have to laugh!
One of your children, who shall remain nameless, refused to wake for school one morning. Rob did all he could to wake the child and finally said, "If you don't get up now, I'll douse you in ice cubes!" It worked!
Care to guess who that was? =)
My kids love that story -- and are always awake before the ice cube threat :D
I love the Haller clan!!!
Katie,
I'd guess it was one of your brothers :D :D :D
Love,
Karen
Oh DAN!!!! ill be kind here and simply say that opposites DO attract.
Barb you have such a way of saying things! You could be talking about my family!! Having more than one child...or fewer bathrooms than children always leads to to chaos! Do you miss it? ha.
Wow, thanks for all the comments, guys! Dan and Katie are probably tied for tardiest ... but the truancy letter was regarding Katie. Ice cube Dan? David falls somewhere in the middle. And Mark's the model child: never late. I'd beat myself up as a failure as a mom if it weren't for him. bahaha!
I love my on-time guy. Katie and Katy had to ride with him to HS, hope they were never late!
Karen, that had to be Dan!
Dove, what does "Mrs. Kravitz style" mean?
Good question, David! Gladys Kravitz was the curious and nosy neighbor on the old sitcom, "Bewitched." She couldn't quite figure out what was going on across the street at Samantha's. (the witch) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladys_Kravitz
Yes, it was Dan...
But, David, who got the shaving cream?
buahahahahahahahahaha...
I love the Haller family :D
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