Morning Routines

My brain, this morning, surveying the lay of the land as the day began:

"It really doesn't irritate me that Mr. Puberty wants to sleep in until noon.  It irritates me that the other boys get out of bed at the crack of dawn, thereby ruining my chances of acting like a teenager and sleeping in, too."

Am I the only one who feels this way?

I doubt it.  I count among my family two matriarchs who are married to roosters.  Roosters who love to brew coffee and get the day started when the sun rises just above the shore on Maine's coast and there is the faintest sliver of sunlight hitting North America.

I used to be more the rooster, until I realized that my body likes to stay up late and sleep in late.  And if I am going to oblige my body, what better time than Summer?

Except for those tweenish-aged kids of mine.  Who, at the slightest hint of a hamster farting, jump out of bed as if to conquer the day by attacking it early and often.  The elder, Hooman, will get out of bed, only to flop down on another piece of furniture and kind of blow off life, all slouchy and half-eyes-open.

I looked at him this morning and thought "Are you just lying there on the couch for the social interaction of being near me cleaning?  Cause if I were you?  I'd go right back to bed and stay there another hour or two."

But, I guess there is something about being around at an hour when I poop-scoop the litter box, change the animal's water dispenser, dole out cat and dog food, and rearrange dishes from the dishwasher to the cabinet and from the sink to the dishwasher that is either uber-interesting or uber-loud, thereby rendering a half-dead looking position on the couch as common sense.

Fortunately this morning, as opposed to any morning where we are on a schedule, The Babe woke happy and rearing to dive into his favorite creative activity, building Legos.

If I had a dollar for every Lego on the floor of the TV room right now, Mike and I would be retiring tomorrow, after selling every single last one of those little buggars.  But, Babe is happy.  Super happy.  And that makes me happy, too.

While I was busy typing this, Hoo decided his big brother should join the fray.  Brave lad.  I hope he has insurance for what is about to be exacted on him.

Fast forward about 10 minutes.  I discover that brother waking brother didn't cause bodily injury to either of them.  In fact, they are laughing and joking and moving toward doing something that involves the TV when I remind them of the "No TV until we've 1) eaten breakfast 2) brought clothes to the laundry room 3) read our lot for the day 4) dressed and brushed teeth".  I get a smouldering look of disgust from Nickels and a rocket blast toward his book for the summer by Hoo.

The boys have been up about 20 minutes, save Mr. Puberty, who has only seen daylight for about three hundred seconds.  Brains are firing.  Hands are building.  One is reading.  Another is walking aimlessly, still trying to awaken to read.  I am typing and about to make breakfast for the crew. 

I am almost awake, after being vertical for just under an hour.  I am trying to decide if coffee on a day that will approach 100 degrees is a foolish way to start the day or the ONLY sane way to begin.

As I move toward the coffee pot, I realize Puberty has acted in normal fashion:  it has re-realized a position in bed.

And me?  Well, I am just awake enough not to be jealous, but to realize that this is a snapshot of things to come.  Growth to be had, a voice that will be changing, moods that will make me feel like popping him back into my uterus to become a baby again so I can recapture that sweet little boy who is disappearing on me daily.

Mind you, that little guy is being replaced by a young man that God has big plans for.  And I guess that takes a lot of sleep.

So, for today, I'm going to cherish this moment when he sleeps in and grows up and jets toward manhood.  I will drink my coffee and be glad to get out of bed earlier than I wish I had to, just so I can spend a bit of time with my younger brood.

In other words, I will be rejoice that the world is spinning on its axis, just the way God arranged it.

Even if I wish that the sun would have been gracious enough to rise a bit later this morning.