“It’s A Mystery!”
My younger daughter loves to give me this answer to many of my questions, because Mickey Mouse (her favorite character) seems to say this quite often in his Clubhouse show on Disney Jr.
Mickey Mouse is tops in my house for my youngest!
It is not even 12 noon on a Saturday morning and I have been up since pretty much before 7 am, made breakfast, dressed three people (myself plus my two girls), chauffeured my older daughter to soccer practice, fended off more temper tantrums than I can count and so much more.
Yet, as often as I wonder what happened to my Saturday mornings and feel like this is a mystery for Perry Mason to solve, clearly it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that life after having kids is a game changer on so many levels including what the weekend is like once kids enter the equation.
Yet, sometimes as much as I get it, I still am left shaking my head on how hectic and crazed my Saturday mornings can really get now.
Here is just a sampling of how different my Saturday mornings are After Kids (A.K.) versus Before Kids (B.K).
Weekends Mornings B.K.
- Sunrise is bedtime with the party just about ending now after the long night, so just getting to finally go to sleep right before the sun would rise.
- Breakfast? What breakfast as sleep and dreaming takes center stage?
- Currently 9 am and now pleasantly dreaming of a feast being made and served to me in bed.
- Last night’s clothes and bed head do just fine while I slumber.
- The day only begins at Noon, where I could leisurely and casually crawl out of bed still in last night’s outfit as my hangover is clearly coming into focus.
- Lunch becomes the new breakfast as I clearly missed breakfast by a long shot, which is minimalistic at best and probably includes leftover cold pizza.
Saturday Mornings A.K.
- Sunrise is now wakeup time as the party is only just about to begin for with the kids always waking right before sunrise, because even though they can sleep in with no school why would they!
- Breakfast includes pleas and threats of my two kids helping me make pancakes, which truly is what nightmares are made of!
- Pancakes are being eaten by my two deal making children of how many more pieces they need to consume for breakfast to be over, while syrup is now sticking to all surfaces, my kids included, as I clean up the actual pancake disaster prep staging area.
- The natives are now restless and I need to help pick out outfits for the day for both kids, as well as do their hair, before I can tend to getting myself dressed and run the brush (at the very least) through my hair.
- By noon, I now have done a day’s work between sunrise and the 6 hours or so that have followed, including our terrible no-good breakfast, the wardrobe and hair battles and some form of chauffeuring for errand running, extracurriculars and so much more.
- And now I am responsible for our second meal of the day and feeding us all lunch. God help me!
All I can say, is it Monday morning yet? And where is the school bus?
This post was also written for the One Word Blog Linkup that is hosted by Lisa of The Golden Spoons and yours truly, too.
The words for this week are: Possible or Circle; Please feel free to linkup and join us this week.
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* Did you see how one dad took to making his stance known about Common Core? Check out my reaction to this and more on the education section on The Huffington Post.
*Also, I recently updated my advertising rates and reduced my pricing for the fall season. So, please feel free to check out my pricing and hoping we can work together now.
Leanne@crestingthehill says
If it’s any consolation, life will change again when they get older – soon you’ll be prizing them out of bed with a crowbar because it’s lunchtime and you want to get on with the day! Then they’ll leave home and your Saturday morning will start at a leisurely 9am with reading the newspaper and checking facebook while you eat whatever you feel like, and then deciding when to make the effort to have a shower and look presentable……
Janine says
Aw, thanks Leanne. As much as I doth protest too much here, I know someday I will miss it, but I couldn’t help, but marvel at how much things have changed in only a few short years here still.
Seana Turner says
Parenthood sure is a game changer in so many ways. I was never much of a partier, so I’ve pretty much been up on Saturday mornings. BUT, it was up to my agenda and my own pace, vs. up to “work”, which is pretty much a 7-day-a-week job for Mom! This does get easier as the children get older, though, and then the weekends are often full of fun activities, so hang in there!
Janine says
Aw, thanks Seana and I definitely was a bit of a partier when I was a bit younger, but still even when I didn’t you are right, Saturdays back then was most definitely a slower, more relaxed pace for sure. But not so much these days at all!
Bill says
I would be a crazy man. I love my Saturday mornings. I would need a straight jacket to do what you do. 🙂
Happy Hump Day, my friend.
Janine says
Aw, Bill somedays that straight jacket is just totally waiting for me LOL! But seriously Happy Wednesday once again 😉
Diane Roark says
Janine,
My Saturday mornings are hectic in a little different way with having teens but they are always hectic. We just purchased some patio furniture to take advantage of the cooler fall early morning breeze, but have only used it once. I love having my family home and my oldest two have been able to make it a lot lately but when all 6 of us are here, mornings are crazy. They pick at each other constantly and everyone is so LOUD. Mornings just fly by. Do not get me wrong. We cry when they do not come home. I would not trade the noise for anything. Maybe, one day we will relax and use the patio furniture. I am sure when that happens I will be missing everyone.
Blessings,
Diane
Janine says
Diane, like you no matter how much I complain here, I do know that I miss them when they aren’t here (like during the school day). And truly hoping you can enjoy your patio furniture now soon. Hugs 😉
Kathy Radigan says
Yes, this sounds just like our house!!! Saturdays are not what they once were. The good thing is my memory is so shot that I barley remember them anymore! Lol!
Janine says
My memory is shot for so much, but still I can’t help, but marvel how different things truly are now for Saturdays here!
Angie says
Mine like to wake up at the same time every day (even if they stay up really late watching the lunar eclipse). However, if I have someplace we need to be or an appointment (or sometimes church) they are “too tire” to get up.
Janine says
Yup totally Murphy’s Law and if we have someplace to be definitely they don’t want to get up either!
Echo says
Hahaha, I totally feel you on this one! Although I love my kids, I do miss my mornings (early afternoons) before kids! I can’t wait until I have teenagers that want to sleep until noon!
Janine says
Aw, Echo I know I look forward to getting my mornings at the very least back a bit, because early morning wakes seriously are the pits for someone who is not a morning person (me!).
Allie says
I love this, but also hate it – you know? One, laughing, two crying. I NVER get to sleep past 7 anymore, even on the weekends. My son’s cross country practice is at 6:30a.m. – even on Saturday. And Sundays, not, the kids have an early morning Faith Formation class for fist communion. Some day, I will reclaim my weekends!
Janine says
Aw Allie, you and me both on reclaiming weekends someday 😉
Jen says
Hahaha! For me Saturday feels just the same as every other day of the week. There is no such thing as a weekend once you are a parent! If I try to keep them up later so they sleep in later, they don’t. If I try to bribe them to leave me alone until 7, they stand outside my door breathing deeply and waiting until 7.
Janine says
Jen, exactly even with bribing they still wait to punch first thing in the morning here, too!!
Bev says
Ah yes, Saturday mornings definitely look very different! I think it helps, though, that I have been an early riser for years, although there are certainly mornings I wish Eve wouldn’t wake up quite so early!
Janine says
Beg, if I was an early riser it would help, but sadly never really was here though.
Chris Carter says
Yup. Cass has swim team AT 7am on Saturdays and Cade always has a soccer game and football practice all before noon. So yeah… there is NO luxurious Saturday mornings here…
I believe my pre-kid life was sleeping in and blissfully drinking as much coffee as I wanted and watching tv and talking on the phone- then off to the gym for a long relaxing work out. Meet a friend for lunch after!
Sigh…
Janine says
I know Chris, I think of the more relaxed days and don’t get me wrong as much as I wish for more peace here, I still do love my kids so, but just wish things sometimes didn’t have to be as crazy.
catherine gacad says
we say that 3 day weekends are no longer fun for us! we’d rather be back at work!
Janine says
I know totally same here, Catherine – as crazy as it sounds!!
Gingi says
omg, my daughter is obsessed with that same show!! And your post is frikkin spot on, haha..
Janine says
Aw, Gingi thank you and seriously glad it isn’t just me with this though!!
Lisa @ The Golden Spoons says
Ha! So true! I was so happy last weekend when all our soccer was cancelled due to rain so we could actually sleep in and just relax. Looks like it will all be cancelled again this weekend according to the weather forecast! Kind makes me glad and kind of terrifies me how crazy it is going to be with all the make ups!
Janine says
Lisa, you just read my mind as far as soccer this Sunday as it is a 10 am game (the only one this early this season) and was actually not totally broken up if it does get cancelled either! 😉
Katie | The Surly Housewife says
My husband is a saint, and let’s me sleep in on the weekends. Or have I trained my children so well that they wake him up instead of me? I will never tell!!!!!!
Janine says
Katie, I love it and you are my hero!! 😉
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Now that my kids are getting older and more independent, it’s FINALLY starting to shift back. Hang in there.
Janine says
Aw, thanks Robin and I needed to hear this more than you know 😉
Tamara says
Can you imagine getting to live that way again, even for one day? It’s not even possible. Even when the kids are away at their grandparents, I still wake up early anticipating them and forgetting that they’re not there!
Janine says
I know what you mean and totally the same here. It truly just isn’t possible!!
Nellie @ Brooklyn Active Mama says
Ha I can totally relate to this!! My Saturdays are so dramatically different–It’s insane! I did get to sleep in a lot today so that was nice. But super rare 🙂
Janine says
I am so jealous as I was up early to take the girls to get flu shots to begin my day. Seriously would love a super rare Saturday to sleep in 😉
Rabia @TheLiebers says
My Saturdays are very different than before kids. I wasn’t an up all night party-er, but I definitely took things at a more laid back pace!
Janine says
Rabia, the more laid back part is what I miss the most!
Aunt Gloria says
I posted something a few days ago….don’t know if it went through as I don’t see it. Good job with this posting…..
Janine says
Aw, thanks Aunt Gloria and I know I saw and responded. Thanks for commenting again though <3