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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Daylight Savings Grumpster

The classroom is filled with hectic activity: preschoolers carting toys back to storage areas, teachers sweeping away the lunchtime refuse, parents plucking up retrieved backpacks. Mia is filling a tiny dump truck with even tinier plastic zoo animals. She spies me from the corner of her eye, and begins to sulk; she doesn't want to go.

She isn't done playing.

She refuses to pick up her toys.

She throws herself down on the crumb-scattered floor, surprising her teacher, who's never seen this disobedient side of Mia before.

The Daylight Savings Grumpster has struck again.



The afternoon bedroom is cool and inviting: Blankets open their soft arms, ready to accept my baby into their sleepy embrace. A stack of stories sits patiently, waiting to be read to a cuddly toddler. But, day-weary Lauren has other ideas. She hot-foots it around me and into other, less darkened rooms; she screams her defiance.

She isn't done playing.

She refuses to be calmed.

She throws her indignant body down on mommy and daddy's floor, frustrating the mother who is day-weary herself.

The Daylight Savings Grumpster has struck again.



The house is finally quiet: worn out children are sleeping, a filled dishwasher has completed its noisy cycle, and a relaxed mama is breathing slowly again after a few days of battle-filled moments. She sits comfortably on a cushy sofa, feet up, head back, entranced with a novel that has transported her to another place. She is shocked out of her reverie by a piercing wail, followed by a grumpy moan: the naps are over. They've only just begun! she thinks. She doesn't want them to be awake yet.

She isn't done resting.

She refuses to let go of the solitude.

She throws her book down in a childish fit of pique, embarrassing herself for being so selfish, but still not snapping out of her disappointment in a naptime cut short.

The Daylight Savings Grumpster has struck again.

12 comments:

  1. That darn Grumpster. When he visits our house we feed him chocolate. He becomes very happy! (And then he sits in his therapy session trying to reverse his emotional eating habit - but the chocolate still tastes good!)

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  2. That darn grumpster.
    I'd like to throw him (and the whole time change thing-y out the nearest window.)
    I guess he's struck here too!

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  3. Man, this dude gets around... He's been hanging out at my house lately too. Prematurely finished naps make me want to cry.

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  4. We just need to get rid of Daylight Savings altogether. Can someone tell me what purpose it serves anymore?

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  5. I remember that little grumpster from our time change last week. Not fun. Personally, I don't see any reason to hang on to daylight savings anymore. I, for one, would rather have my extra hour of light in the evening and then let the morning darkness trick my kids into sleeping late. Hope your schedules even back out soon!

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  6. Boy, he really makes his presence known. Like Santa Clause, only not so nice!! He has been waking our kids extra early this week! I am ready to be rid of him also. maybe next week...

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  7. The Grumpster has overstayed his welcome at our house.

    Remember the days when you looked forward to Daylight Savings because you got an extra hour of sleep? Those days are no more...

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  8. Love it! This post reminds me of characters from the Serendipity books from my youth. Did you ever read those?

    I wish the time change were to blame for all of the woes in my household, but somehow I think it has more to do with our 2-year-old being, well, 2 and my slowing down beneath waning weeks of pregnancy.

    Here's to better sleep for you all this weekend!

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  9. Love it, I feel ya! This whole daylight savings time change thing could not have come at a better time, what with us just switching to the toddler bed and all....no problems here, nope not at all. (do you sense the sarcasm?)

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  10. Well, at least I know he hasn't singled us out!

    I, too, wonder about why we even do it. Is it a conspiracy by the government and drug companies to keep the population buying anti-depression meds in the winter because of less available time in daylight? I mean, the sun starts getting low so early! Ridiculous.

    And coming on the night of Halloween -- ground zero for sugar consumption -- sure didn't help matters.

    But I'm not bitter :)

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  11. Uh...we've been feeling the effects here, too. That was one good thing about Arizona. No Daylight Savings and switching times and what-not. It's just craziness!

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Hmm...And how did that make you FEEL?