Those early mornings have a way of opening up new ways of thinking for everyone.

Early mornings are pretty normal for farm life, so 6:10 wasn't much of a shock to our systems back in August when school started. So far, the morning wake-ups have mostly been quite energetic but seem to be getting more lethargic by the day.

The time changes this weekend. Maybe this year that will be a good thing.

Perhaps the bigger shock this year is that ^it^ is starting to feel like a grind. Even without the covidic politics, the two years since life forced these unnatural living arrangements on us have been not-normal-for-anybody. Part of me wants to be proud of having found enough stability to feel like we're in a rut, but the echoes from the nay-sayers whose unsolicited advice we disregarded on this trail of tears seem to be getting louder.

I know. That routine of early rise seems to hit the 'slump' in the fall as the days become shorter and the nights become longer.

You're not alone. I really hope this time change helps, not hinders my rest sleep.

I am so routine based. And an early riser. Being routine based actually helped me cope with the shock and awe of all the changes that occurred last year from the pandemic. But yeah it most certainly feels like a grind at the moment even for me. I still value routine. I do the same morning ritual. But now I try to mix it it up a smidge throughout the day.

I will say that it being so dark out in the morning has been a tough adjustment.

"Part of me wants to be proud of having found enough stability to feel like we're in a rut" - I love that idea. It isn't perfect, no one wants to be in a rut, but you are right that it does indicate some measure of stability and there is joy, or at least some appreciation to be had in that accomplishment. :)

As for preschool, we were blessed to have been able to have our child in preschool in person last year, and especially so since covid meant that the class size was only 10 instead of 16. The children all wore masks and so did the teachers, but they all managed, accomodated, and adapted really well (yet still look forward to the day when masks are no longer needed!) It was really helpful for my sanity and ability to do work, and my child really benefited from the social environment as well. I know your general feelings and legit challenges you have with masks, arfie, but hopefully sharing my little experience with it being ok for my child, or even really good despite all the challenges, might give you some encouragement in considering options for your 3 year old. Hugs. :)

And kudos to you for that early rising!!! I like to get up early, but the 6:00 oclock hour is never good to me. 7:00 is good, and even 5:00 am (because 5:00 am KNOWS it is early!! and my brain accepts that), but the 6:00 hour just feels snarky mean to me. .....just some silly brain stuff there. :)

I was struck by that too, wanting to be proud of having found enough stability to be in a rut. I totally understand that.

Thanks, guys. Your feedback helps me feel a little less neurotic. Maybe. Works in progress.

I tend to fear the entrapment of ruts far more than variety of change, but the long, painful series of unfortunate events which cobbled together our little ship of fools gave me a heightened respect for the benefits of routine.

I've heard many virtual stories of parents and children doing just fine with the masked and socially distant daycare protocols. I still don't know any of the current generation of parents up close and personal. The wounds from the series of unfortunate events were still fresh and infected when the news from China sent us skittering into uncharted waters. I still hadn't figured out WTF a play date is (was?). There was no way I was ready to attempt the new normals of Coronaville. I still haven't sorted the yaddahs of those blahs.

I've gotten to where I can look a masked child in the eye, but masked adults are still triggering me to medical trauma flashbacks.

Works in progress. . .

Play date is the equivilent of "why don't you invite a friend to come over to play?" It is a formalized term for adults doing the calling to arrange for 3 year olds to play together at the park or at their house or wherever. It has become such a part of life that I don't know what else to call it as the kids get older, so my 9 year old will still ask for a "play date with so and so" instead of just asking "can so and so come over?" It's just a term, and it usually describes adults making a plan to get their kids together to play, but kids have adopted it, too. In some cases it replaces the spontaneous phone call or knock on the door to ask "can so and so come out to play" but in most cases those things still happen, but we have just added the term "playdate" to it. :)

I grew up in the city a very long time ago and we just ran around outside with all our neighborhood friends while some of the moms may have hung out in someone’s kitchen or front porch drinking Tab and chain smoking Kools.

Unhealthy and unsafe, sure but damn it was a simpler time.

From my geezer-eye view, play dating looks an awful lot like romantic dating. I refused to play the dating game when I was single and age-appropriate. Now I feel sleezy for wanting my foster children to have friends. Do I really have to date the parents with the kids? My foster kids were 6, 3 and 8 months when they came to me and had never had enough stability to have friends. I have yet to hear any of them ask for a play date. Not that I have any friends with young children to ask. Those pesky details. . .

I raised my first kids in the 80's and 90's when childish adventure was losing its respectability, but kids still mostly managed their own social lives, The new rules in the 21st century are staggering. Were? Maybe it's a good thing that the covidic madness changed the subject, all together, at least for a while.

Guess I need to sneak a peak and see if there are there dating sites for children. Maybe after I remediate the panic attack I had from typing out those words.

Small steps, big faith and lots of prayer