I'm generally an upbeat, glass-half-full person, but occasionally I get those days when I feel like getting back into bed with a box of chocolates and staying there all day. You know: Those Days. Days when I went to bed too late. Or when I'm running late. When the kids start tiptoeing around me and whispering to themselves, Mama is crabbers, I know I have to get out of my funk. Here are three things I like to do to get my day started on the right foot:
1) I get moving
We are so lucky to live less than a mile away from school. Every weekday, the kids and I walk to school, and that ten-minute walk (or seven-minute jog, depending on how late we are) is a lifesaver. It wakes me up and gets me ready to start the day. On weekend mornings, I run. Every Saturday and Sunday morning I'm tempted to sleep in, but I know I won't regret it once I start. For the first five minutes, my joints ache and my muscles ache and I feel bored and impatient and wish I were back in bed. Then my muscles warm up, the endorphins kick in, and all of a sudden I feel like I can run forever. Running first thing in the morning makes me feel strong and powerful and active and positive.
2) I wake my stomach up gradually
When I was growing up, I never ate anything until noon. Now that I'm older and wiser, I know better than to start the day with an empty stomach, but my stomach still clings to its ancient ways. If I eat too much, early in the morning, I feel awful, but if I leave it too long, I enter Mama is Crabbers territory, so I compromise. Most days I squeeze in a spoonful of yogurt before I walk the kids to school, but 20 minutes later, once I'm back home, I the more time (and appetite) to finish the rest of it, along with some fruit or cereal or oatmeal.
3) I kiss my husband
You know how people always say you should never go to bed angry at your spouse? Well, Alfie and I do it all the time -- but even after 10 years, we're still going strong. When our tempers are up and we've had a domestic, giving each other a little time to cool off is exactly what we need. We sleep it off and wake up with a renewed perspective. Nothing is ever so bad in the morning, so our "rule" is a little different: we never start our morning angry at each other. I look forward to kissing Alfie Usually no disagreement is too serious that one of us (okay, it's usually Alfie, God bless him) doesn't make a move towards the other's lips. That kiss goodbye before Alfie leaves for work sets the tone for the day and reminds me how lucky I am to be me!
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