My stint as the night owl

I am not a night owl; in fact, my definition of night owl is mocked by true night owls. I prefer mornings and like the quiet start of the day. Husband is the opposite. He likes to stay up late and sleeps late any chance he gets. When I get up in the morning, I slip out quietly so he can keep sleeping, and when he comes to bed at night, he turns off everything left on when I fell asleep--usually minutes after my head hits the pillow.

Husband has been out of town for three nights now, and doesn't return until tomorrow evening. I miss him for a lot of reasons. One is that the bed feels too big, and without him there, it's also too cold. I miss talking with him and figuring out who is going to do what to get chores done and kids where they need to be. I miss catching up on shows he DVRs so we can watch together in the early evening--a time of day we are both awake.

But the other thing I miss is that Husband is the one who stays up until everyone is home for the night. I usually am awake (or mostly so) until everyone is home, but I almost always get to go on up to bed and wait there, where I doze off and on. Then, while he sleeps as long as he likes the next morning, I get up and oversee the waking of the house--and early runs to things like before school practices.

So far each night Husband's been gone, the Three have had school events or friends over or some sort of social something that keeps them up late or out late. I've been staying up until Oldest and Middle are in for the night and then getting up just ahead of Youngest (the most likely to follow in my morning footsteps). Right now I'm on the sofa working so I can stay awake until Oldest gets home. He texted to ask if he could stay late to help clean up. My fingers typed "sure" as my voice cried no--but what's a mother to do?

And then I read a friend's slice. She mentioned the time change, and my heart sank even further. It's "spring forward". Which means as I wander around the house, trying desperately to remember where all the clocks are, it will seem as if each one of those faces will be mocking me, "you think it's 10:30? Ha! Try 11:30!" I miss Husband even more. Seeing those clocks jump an hour ahead will only make it worse--trying to be both the night owl and the early bird.