Even though we sprung forward the other day, there’s not much spring in my step.

This time change is killing me.

We gained an hour in the evening and lost an hour in the morning.

That hour I lost was a really important hour.

Getting my kids out of bed on Monday, the first day of school after the time change, was a horrible experience.

We here at The Star-News even had a story to help me prepare for the big event. It talked about sticking to a routine, pushing meal times up 30 minutes and explaining the time change to one’s children.

None of those things worked for me.

Our routine is shot because of softball.

Mealtime consists of whatever the concession stand is featuring and eating it in the car on the way home.

And I didn’t try to explain the time change to them because I was too tired and I didn’t have the patience.

We have to catch the school bus as 6:40 a.m., which means I have to get up at 5 a.m. to get the three of them ready, out the door and to the end of the drive wearing two matching shoes and carrying snacks and their book bags.

The first 15 minutes of that hour and 40 minutes is spent in an attempt to rouse the youngest out of bed. Granted, once she’s up, she’s up. It’s just the getting her there that’s the problem.

“It’s nighttime. I didn’t get my sleep,” was the first statement out of her mouth before she tried to flop down under the covers.

“Oh, no you don’t,” I said, making a grab for her leg – which is a difficult move considering she’s on the top bunk and I’m two inches too short.

After gaining total consciousness, she was fine – thankfully.

The middle one, on the other hand, sleeps so hard that I have to get her dressed in bed.

I swear.

If I didn’t think that her clothes would be too wrinkled to wear to school the next day, I’d let her sleep in them, just to expedite the process that much more.

On the Monday after the time change, she was comatose for a good 30 minutes after I got her up.

The oldest just whimpered until her Toaster Strudel was done.

You see, in old time, it was 4:30 a.m. In kid-time, that’s “oh my gosh” early.

In mommy-time, that’s “why didn’t I buy a programmable coffee pot” time.

Tuesday was somewhat better. I can only hope that the as the week progresses, so will we.