I had every intention of sleeping-in this morning. (And by sleeping-in, I mean not hearing or seeing anyone until at least 7:00 a.m.!) So did my husband. That’s why we kept the gate at the top of the stairs wide-open last night. For the first time ever, we told Isabelle she had carte-blanche to go downstairs after she took herself to the bathroom so she could play in her playroom. Therefore, we wouldn’t hear her upstairs, making too much noise while we tried to “sleep-in” on a Saturday morning.
But I’ve been up for the past half-hour & I’m not happy about it.
I heard “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” from downstairs. Once I realized that was me, I rolled out of bed, opened our bedroom door, and walked down the hall. I didn’t bother putting my glasses on so I called out, “What’s wrong, Isabelle?” without actually knowing where she was sitting or standing.
“How do you spell Emma’s name?” Isabelle inquired.
She must be at her craft table drawing picture or making cards for her friends, I thought, so I focused my blurred gaze there.
“What?” I asked.
“How do I spell Emma’s name?” she repeated.
“Isabelle, it’s 6:10 in the morning. We let you go downstairs this morning so you could play independently while Daddy and I sleep. I need you to figure out how to spell Emma’s name yourself or wait until I come down — in an hour.”
“But I need to know how to spell it,” she said.
“Try your best to figure it out,” I called down to her.
“E-m-m,” she paused. “y-a.”
I didn’t care that it wasn’t right. If I gave her the correct spelling, then I’d be opening Pandora’s Box. Instead I walked back down the hall and called, “Great try. See you in an hour!”
I closed my door. Sheesh! I did my morning meditation and then tried to go back to sleep. It was a futile attempt. I’m up now — for the day. So much for sleeping in!
Raising Literate Humans 
I think in the future you will enjoy this little memory! Maybe tomorrow will be more successful?
I hope so! I promised her I’d have s sleepover party with her tonight.
I could only chuckle as I read your post. “If I gave her the correct spelling, then I’d be opening Pandora’s Box.” This is so true and in the classroom too! Usually the morning I plan on sleeping in I’m up extra early for some reason! Oh well, sleep is overrated!
Oh, I disagree. I’m a huge fan of sleep. I’ve had trouble sleeping for the past six weeks, so I’m quite cranky about being woken up early since I’ve been waking up a lot in the middle of the night.
Those “mommy, mommy, mommy,” calls just get me every time. Nine times out of ten it’s something like this. Your dialogue here just moves the story along. Great Slice!
I love that you are teaching your daughter to be a self-directed learner on an early Saturday morning. Hurray for this, and hurray for autonomy-supportive parenting (a la Jessica Lahey’s Gift of Failure)!
I try to do the same thing, and it doesn’t work either. Perhaps our children are working together in this, plotting against sleep. It always bothers me once they drag me out of bed that they don’t want me to stop and make coffee, either. I mean, that is just cruel.
I love that you are thinking like a teacher even at the crack of dawn, at home, fully sleep-deprived. If you can do everything you’re doing now, just think how amazing you will be when sleep returns and you are actually functioning on normal levels of rest!
Beth’s comment is optimistic. I’m not sure that once you’re a mother you ever sleep well again. You get through the early rising stages, then you have to wait up for them to get home, and then you have to wake up to go to the bathroom. I love reading your conversations with Isabelle, Stacey. You bring her to life!
Oh I do remember those days. You are sure you are never going to be able to sleep in again. And, you’re just about right because by the time your child is older – so are you and you can’t sleep past 6:00 a.m. if your life depended on it. Life is cruelly ironic. But, do enjoy these times with little Isabelle and try not to wish the time to pass quicker.
I love sleeping in, so I know how it feels when that moment is taken from you…when all you want is just a few moments alone to rest…but Isabelle sounds so cute and the fact that she’s choosing to write on her own is a testament to the kind of mom you are. It’s annoying now, but hopefully it’ll be a sweet memory later. 🙂
I write in the morning–so when my boys don’t sleep, they interrupt that quiet writing time. I’m so annoyed when that happens. Not only does that mean they’ve woken up in the 5s and they’ll be grouchy and at each other all day…but that also means that my one hour of writing in solitude, peace, and quiet is gone. And then I’m grouchy for the day! I try and remember that their early wake-ups are a phase, and soon I’ll be waking them at 7 or 8 or 9 but… Arg.
I so remember those days… now we need to wake our guys before noon so we can actually see them on a weekend! I love the word Sheesh! — never have seen it before in writing. I could hear and feel you say it. Perfect word for the moment. Thanks for sharing.
Clare
Kids and sleep seem to follow each other in stages. Before long you will be wondering if Isabelle will be awake before lunch! Love watching her grow up through your posts, especially when I hear her through the dialogue.
But she’s writing! I know, I know, you wanted to sleep- sorry! I tried to sleep in today, but no such luck either! I really love that Isabelle!
Stacey,
Such a great Isabelle story and love your wisdom in sharing how you feel as such a critical part of your story. As Melanie said, your sleep interruptions are just beginning! So many different reasons as they age, but still . . . even across the miles, sleep escapes mothers and grandmothers!
I know Melanie is right since I’ve seen this play out with my mother.
Perhaps I’ll have to become a napper as I get older.
Good luck with napping! That balance between being present and getting enough sleep – tricky!
Ha! I don’t think it is something I have the time to take up now. (I’m trying to make it sound like a hobby.)
Once you’re up, yes, you’re up. I try to sleep in too, but the days in the past of getting up early for work have ruined me. I have to smile, too, Stacey, because she made a great try at the spelling.
Being awake since 2:00 (but for differenf reasons) I know how hard it is to fall back to sleep once the pattern is interrupted. I am all for napping.
Well I think you began with a good plan, giving your daughter some independence, now to work on all the meanings of the word! Kids are so funny, they want to do things by themselves but they want us right there. You were just a holler away! Good luck, get some sleep!
Maybe next weekend? My toddler is 21 months old and wakes us up every morning — even on the weekends — around 6 am yelling “MAMA MAMA MAMA UP UP UP MAMA MAMA UP!” So I feel your pain.
This parenting stuff isn’t for the faint of heart, is it?
Ha! The funny thing is, now that our kids are getting a little older and a little more self-sufficient, it’s the dogs that are waking us up too early! The two pups that won’t sleep unless they are at our feet like to get up early and go outside. They don’t care if it’s still dark, freezing cold or that it’s the weekend. Sigh. On the bright side, it’s a blessing to have someone to wake you up early. There’s always that. 🙂
I almost wrote a slice just like this yesterday, and then this morning I actually did get to “sleep in” (which I did write about today-that’s why your slice caught my eye.) I like the way you decided to include the detail about not putting on your glasses and giving descriptions related to that detail (i.e. blurred vision). It helped me see the event through your eyes!
Just had to read this since my baby got us up at 5:30 today! I love that you told her “great try” and left her to continue on her own!
You know how they say “pick your battles?” Well, I also know when to leave well-enough alone.
She will start to sleep past 5:30 a.m., Jennifer. I promise!
Yes! My middle son is almost always up by 6:30 at the latest. . . and whenever we try to sleep through his morning activities, it turns out to be a mistake. This morning, he woke me up by taking my picture with my iPad. Yikes!
I love this, “I heard “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” from downstairs. Once I realized that was me…” Why can’t it ever be “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!”?
It is rare, but it happens around here.