Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Top Ten Tuesday--Reasons for getting up early

Top Ten {Tuesday}

It's early and the kids are all still sound asleep in bed. Kind of where I'd like to be right now.

Of course, my husband has been up for hours by now (the busy life of a Company Commander)--- but not being a morning person myself, I haven't quite disciplined myself to get up when he does. Granted he is up by 4am, and I think we'd all agree that THAT is asking a lot of a busy mom of 3 little boys.

But please note that despite the early hour, I numbered the page correctly AND have reasonable spelling!! Okay, so Blogger numbered it and I hit the spell check button...but still! Be impressed!! Getting up early is entirely against my nature.

Ten reasons I force myself to wake up before my kids

  • 1) I get to wake up on my own. Stretch, relax, sip my coffee or tea and just adjust to the day having begun. This, of course, is opposed to being jolted out of bed by my 2 year old's favorite morning phrase (shouted with extra excitement because he caught mom still in bed),  "Hi Mommy, I waked up!!!" Not that I really mind the good morning from my little Sweetheart, I just like to wake up on my own.
    "Hi Mommy!! I waked up!!"
  • 2) I get to read my Bible on my own. I'm not sure if I've found any better time to do my devotions than first thing in the morning. The Scripture talks about giving of our first fruits... and despite how many years I've tried to do my devotions at bedtime, I am just now realizing the importance of giving God the first part of my day.
  • 3) I get to pray on my own. Again, the morning hours, before the kids, the chores, the phone, the computer...are simply the best time to focus and meet with my Savior
  • 4) I don't have to share my steaming cup of tea or coffee. With 3 little boys who love to come steal share my morning cup, it just lasts longer this way.
  • 5) I get an early morning wake-up call from my breastfeeding 5 month old anyway...and newborn babble is so much nicer than an alarm clock. I get the gentle snuggles and sweet softness of my baby for a few moments before laying him back to sleep.
  • 6) I'm happier the rest of the day
  • 7) I get to blog/email/surf without interruption. It takes me all day to do these things otherwise--and I just can't spend (dare I say, waste??) my whole day on the computer. I may not have a boss or be paid by the hour, but I'm accountable for my time too.
  • 8) My productivity is incredible. Sometimes it seems that between the hours of 5am-7am I get more done than I do all day. Well. Sort of. It's a different kind of getting things done than when the house is bustling in full throttle.
  • 9) I get to watch and hear my kids stretch, stir, and smile as THEY wake-up. Ha ha. I know just why my 2 year old loves giving me that morning greeting. There is something so nice about seeing someone you love first thing when you/they wake up.
  • 10) Because I am too tired to think of something really clever for Top 10 Tuesday, and this seems like a good idea. Can you tell that despite all the perfectly perfect reasons to get up early, I still struggle with it from the depths of my being?

Check out the fun at Oh Amanda

5 comments:

Rachael said...

I can totally relate. I should have gotten up when Joe was getting ready this morning, but instead decided to stay in bed for a bit. Now I wish I had gotten up to get myself ready before the boys were up and needed to get them ready. Everything takes longer if I don't get up early. Although, Isaac is an early morning kid - quite often is up about the same time I'm getting up. He'll sleep til 6:30 at the latest. Usually is up at 6am though. I've tried changing this habit, but it's just who he is. No changing it. I am not a morning person, but as a mom - as you said, we need our mornings.

Melissa said...

I used to have a great morning routine and once I got pregnant again my early rising went bust. Now that I'm heading into my second trimester I've been able to get up at 6:00 several days in a row. My girls usually sleep until 7/7:30 so that's my morning quiet time. I totally agree that devotions are best done in the morning. I LOVE my morning quiet time and coffee. It's the first waking up and forcing myself out of bed that I hate. Once I'm UP I'm fine!!

Marbel said...

Great post. I try to be an early riser... don't always manage it though. I agree with all your reasons!

Ashley Pichea [PicheaPlace.com] said...

I struggle with getting up in the mornings. I love the quiet and productivity I have before the kids get up, but I struggle to will myself out of bed. I did the Maximize Your Mornings (from Kat at Inspired to Action) challenge in August, and that was great, except then September came. LOL. Maybe if I can beat this latest round of insomnia, I can reclaim my mornings again.

Kathryn said...

Thank you, Everyone. It's a daily challenge for me to get up early. I'm not much of a morning person, but do just fine as soon as I'm up--it's the getting out of bed part in the first place that get's me!!

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