Yawn! New Orr Schedules

For the 31 years Joseph and I have been married, we have struggled with establishing any real bedtime routines. First we were young. Then we had babies. Then we had toddlers. Then we had teenagers and I worked at home and he was retired and I was a night owl and he was a morning person and then we got older and our sleep patterns got wackier. He fell asleep, practically sitting up, but woke early, unable to go back to sleep. I fell asleep much slower, waking multiple times a night due to hot flashes. Sheeeesh. No wonder I can't really remember NOT being tired. :)

Now that is all shifting. After months of Nicole's work schedule going in all directions, she is regularly scheduled for 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. four days a week. This means rising at 4:45 in order to get her to work on time. Today Caspian began working full time also, and guess what? He starts at 6 also. We can't, as hard as we have tried, be in two places at one time, so three mornings a week, Caspian has to bike to work (his employer is located right next to a bike trail, fortunately).

So now, four of us are up by 5 a.m. and out the door by 5:30. (Before this? Up between 8-9 for Joseph and I, and the kids . . . well . . . you know . . . lots later.) We see the sun come up. We hear the birds start to sing. (I am grateful this is all happening as summer rolls back around, instead of plunging back into winter darkness.) After years of being a night owl, and not even thinking about crawling into bed before midnight, life is about to change. No more late nights,  I fear. I know I will get more done, and feel productive, and make my husband happy (he always wanted to rise early--puns welcome here), but it's tough for me. I like late night. I feel at peace then. I stop working. If it's daylight, I feel compelled  to be at the computer working on an assignment, and I will see a LOT more daylight hours. Ah well, life is all about change, right? It is what keeps us young, right? Don't mind me while I keep repeating this for the coming months. In between yawns, of course.