Mommy radar

You know those scenes in action movies of the hero having to get from point A to point B across a room booby trapped with lasers or trip wires or stones that sink into the ground and cause the walls to collapse?

Well I kinda feel like that every morning I try to wake up before the kids.

Let me explain.

My husband gave a talk in church a couple months ago about having "daily private worship." It has since become a bit of a theme and goal for our family and our ward.

Now being a mother of toddlers it is difficult to find a quiet moment with no interruptions during the day to have this personal devotional. I try to sneak off while the kids are playing but the phone rings or the kids fight or someone is hungry or thirsty or bored and the time is always cut short. Like...really short.

So I finally decided that in order to prevent this from happening I was going to have to get up earlier - BEFORE the kids wake up. I thought, "I should be okay if I set my alarm for a WHOLE HOUR before the kids usually wake up."

But just like the heroes in those action movies, I tripped the wires and set off the alarm. I don't know how he does it - but my son has this internal sensor - a mommy radar if you will - and if I even SIT UP IN BED to read he is up and awake and bounding in to greet me. I will even sneak DOWNSTAIRS to use the bathroom in the morning to prevent waking him up just to have a little extra time to myself - but it doesn't matter. The kids can be completely enthralled in a movie or a game or a book and not even know I'm in the room, but as soon as I sneak out they are at my heels. I'm sure I'm exaggerating a little, and I know that I'll miss this stage when it's over, but at the moment I'm at a loss.

When do you make personal time each day to read your scriptures and write in your journal and pray without being interrupted?