Monday, November 15, 2010

Howling At The Moon

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For months I  found myself howling at the moon. Okay, maybe I wasn’t actually howling, but I found myself staring at it for nights on end.  A little clock seemed to be ticking in my head, warning me that the minutes were flying by and there I sat too tired to do anything.  Least of all sleep.

Being tired came from my 3 year old who still has not learned to sleep through the night. Not sleeping came after my surgery, where my body cycled on about 3 hours of sleep to an hour of wakefulness, then back to sleep.  Then came the worries, the expectation of changes that are coming, but not quite here yet.  My husband and I took turns jumping out of bed in the middle of the night, rarely both in it at the same time.

Then came the dreaded time change. “What nonsense”, is the common phrase you hear uttered about this event  in our house. But guess what, it has been glorious.  Suddenly my 3  year old is going to bed by 7:30, not 9:00 or 10:00. And I find myself with a little me time before I go to bed. Time to relax and unwind and talk with the hubby.

I find myself sleeping  for at least a little while before my youngest wakes me asking for her sippy or some snuggles. But I’m feeling more rested and calm. Somehow this seems to set the tone for my family. My oldest are going to bed earlier and my husband seems to be enjoying the fact that he is not the first one to bed.

And the best part is I wake up early and still see the moon, but I’m no longer howling. I’m wide awake and ready to take on the day. I make my coffee and actually have the energy to do some work, not just sit bleary-eyed waiting for the caffeine to kick in. 

I watch the moon disappear as I smile in greeting at the first wisps of light that streak across the sky. It’s a new day, and I’m ready!

How do you combat restless nights or mornings that come to early?

4 comments:

Tana said...

I've had the words to "Strawberry Wine" stuck in my head all day, and one of the verses is "the hot July moon saw the whole thing." I just swoon over those lyrics! As for restless nights, I usually try and force myself to sleep. it never works. ;)

Kara said...

Great lyrics, I'll be humming that today I bet:)

Janna Leadbetter said...

What a beautiful post, Kara. I could feel your restlessness, but then your peace.

I'm glad your family has found the quiet of the evenings. Mine has, too, and we're each ready to tuck in early these days. I appreciate it about all of us for now. :)

Nancy said...

Restless nights. Those are terrible. The next day usually is a "getting through it" day. I have been sleeping much better. I love mornings. And I also love to look at the moon. It is such a wonder.

Hope you get your schedule worked out and that your days are better.