Where is that snooze button?

It's Friday and it couldn't have come at a better time. I love the weekends (there's a shocker) but it funny how much my weekends have changed. It used to be that both Bret and I would sleep until we just couldn't sleep any more on Saturday mornings and even then we would lie in bed and just talk before dragging ourselves toward the kitchen for cereal and TV. Our weekend revolved around K-State football home games or if they were away we would plan according to the TV schedule. We also planned around social gatherings with friends that usually took place late in the evening until wee hours of the morning and usually involved good food and drinks.

When our kids were born this was one thing I missed the most. Kids don't sleep in (at least not yet...teenage years will be different I am sure). Even if my kids are up late the night before they are always up before 8 and usually before 7. Staying up late the night before just makes them cranky. They are finally getting to the point where they can self manage for an hour maybe two in the mornings. Emily gets up and turns on the TV (we leave cartoons on the night before) and she, open the fridge for sippy cups filled the night before, and find/open granola bars stored on the lower shelf within her reaching. I know that this sounds like a lot of prep work but the two hours of sleeping in until 9am is totally worth the effort.

Don't kid yourself, this is not usually uninterrupted sleep. Emily may take care of her brother but they still find something to fight about or my mischievous son will find something to get into that he is not supposed to have. In this case I usually am awakened to both kids running into our room yelling "MOM!!" at the same time. Emily because she is usually telling and Palmer b/c he thinks its fun. I have always been amazed at how my husband can sleep through anything. It is a gift. Even when I would have a screaming child in bed with us he never moved or blinked an eye. If I felt the need to share my misery it was like waking the dead even though the screaming child was right next his ear. The kids have learned this and don't even try to bother their dad. My hubs, being the good guy that he is, understands this burden and will on occasion get up with the kids although it is usually too late at this point as I am already awake. As is predictable of our marriage we have worked out a pretty good compromise.

The kids have swim lessons on Sat morning so Bret gets the kids ready to go, sometimes takes them to the nearby dinner for breakfast, and then to swim lessons. 2-3 glorious hours all to my own. Funny but I usually spend that time doing laundry and picking up the house so we don't have a lot to do later but I don't mind. It is quite and I AM ALONE. Beyond that we usually have kid birthday parties, dinner with friends, and some sort of family activity. Bret and I enjoy the quite time when the kids are sleeping during their naps (I usually doze, he plays on the computer and watches football). It is usually a nice balance of relaxing lazy time mixed in with a fun activity with the kids. We have no family in the area so our weekends are our own and we take full advantage. Bret has to work sometimes and when he does we take dinner and spend our evenings waiting for a glimpse of him in the lounge. On the very rare occasion we sometimes get a babysitter and have an evening to ourselves as well. Funny but as nice is that is I don't long to go out with the kids that often. They go to bed at 8 or so. We spend the hours they are sleeping together. Sometimes we watch a movie, play a board game or cards, and sometimes we sit on our back porch drink beer and visit. While it may not be as fun as "going out" sometimes we usually save money this way. BTW our summers are completely different and I will post about them as that time gets closer. Have a great weekend!