I hate my alarm clock

I lack enthusiasm in the mornings lately.  And it's not just because of the time change -- this has been going on for months.  Granted, my dream is to be a home maker, and not a single full time working mom who has to rush her kids out the door by 7am to get them to a sitter so that I can commute for an hour and get to work at a decent time and spend my day working hard for others so that I can leave at the end of the day and drive another hour to come home and pick them up and feed and bathe them and attempt quality time before the three of us fall into bed exhausted.

*whew*

My plan for countering this highlight in my life is to be constantly planning for things that bring me joy.

For instance, I love spending time in Monterey, as do the kids.  So we regularly plan treks over there for various reasons.  Time with my cousins, time at the aquarium (which we belong to for now), time on Cannery Row, and of course a hotel stay a few times a year turns it into a weekend getaway, which we love.

I also love spending time with friends, so every chance I get I'm going out to dinner with a group or having people over or making plans to spend time in Monterey with them.  All of this costs money, but it's money worth spending if it means I'm smiling and enjoying life during the hours I'm not at work.  I don't have expensive tastes or hobbies or interests -- I can afford a few meals or hotel rooms here and there.

Our plan for this year is to have Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk season passes so that we can go whenever we feel like it, day or night, and ride some rides or play on the beach.  That's been the best part of belonging to the aquarium -- there's no pressure to get your money's worth, because you can come and go all you want.  I highly recommend this!

Now if I could just inject some of this happiness into my mornings...