where's the "reset" button?

Today was our first day back to work and school.

It wasn't an easy transition for us.

This morning when I went to wake the kids up at 6:45, they were all concerned that it was dark outside and possibly still night?  Consider, over the past two weeks, our wake-up time has morphed from 6:30 AM until yesterday, when I didn't stir until almost 10:00 AM and the sun was nearly in the middle of the sky when I finally climbed out of bed.

Once upon a time, when I was 19, waking up before 10 AM would have been crazy early.  In fact, I would steer clear of all college courses that started before 11 AM.  Funny how graduating and landing a job that requires you to be dressed and somewhere before 9 AM, and then - adding a few children to the mix - can turn your sleeping late habits upside down.  There's no question my ability to sleep in yesterday had everything to do with the fact that Carolyn is now tall enough to reach the cereal and prepare breakfast for her siblings ... while everyone poured over the comics.



What I should have been doing is waking up at a consistent time for the past two weeks so this morning wouldn't have been such a shock to my system.  But it was, because I didn't.

So off the kids rush to school and I rush off to work.  And by the time I arrived home tonight, I was baked. My body ached and my brain was foggy from my first day back.  I'm doing my best to think ahead to my gratitude journal entry for the day, and looking for opportunities ~ in those moments ~ to be grateful.

My beautiful children, blessings of my life!  Alternatively titled, "They who will only sit down and complete their homework when I raise my voice seven octaves and go hoarse."

My wonderful husband, who made minestrone soup from scratch today!  Alternatively titled, "The one who brought me a cup of hot tea with honey, but placed it on my dresser leaving what looks to be an irreparable ring."

Our sweet dog, who greets me everyday at the door with his tail wagging! Alternatively titled, "Ye who jumped up and slobbered all over the cranberry stilton that I'd placed too close to the table's edge."

Oh, sometimes I can be such a Mega Crank. This was not what I had in mind for today, only the second day of the new year.  Where's my gratitude?!

I found a good bit of it in our children's journal entries...





The rest of it I found in early bedtimes and peppermint bark.



Also, hot chocolate with marshmallows is always a boon.