Wednesday, Jan 14th 2015
Peace, Love, Happiness and LUCK!
Just taking a moment to relish the lovely and successful morning I just had with my kids. As any parent -or person who used to be a student- can tell you, the Get Up & Go to School Routine in the morning can be fraught with hell. Somehow since we’ve gotten back from vacation so far this calendar year, is hasn’t! We just had three days in a row of lovely school drop-offs. GO FIGURE.
This morning’s looked like this. Actually, I don’t know why I was awake in bed -maybe because of the extra cute bodies that had accumulated there during the night- but *exactly* as I reached for my phone to check the time, the 6:20am alarm went off. I deflected it for the 6:30 one to come, and to enjoy the cat who took his cue to finally climb on my back and commence the *massage.* I even blew off the 6:30 alarm for the 6:40 one too. Then somehow I got up, and somehow my son woke up and went to get himself dressed as well. (Intrinsic motivation, to feel proud of himself? Halleluia!) I hit the shower; a definite luxury -and risk- on a school morning where class starts across town at 7:40am. While there, Hot Loving Hubby brings me hot loving tea, (sacrificially presented in his own “I Heart to Fart” mug, seeing as my favored mug was MIA). Hot shower on the outside + hot beverage on the inside: perfect prescription for a chilling January day. A few stretches under the hot water, some centering breaths before toweling off, and I am Golden.
Back in the bedroom, cute body #2 is still a cuddle-puddle of ZZZ’s. The peace and beauty leaves me hankering for Mozart, so I pull up Youtube on my phone and cue K622 (Clarinet Concerto in A Major). Why don’t I do this all the time? This is the music I *envisioned* raising my children around back in college music appreciation class. My daughter rubs her eyes awake and starts issuing her commands for the day. “Dance Mamma.” Say what? “Mamma, dance!” At first I demure but then indulge her a couple silly flourishes and twirls while donning my bra and undies. “I see you naked!” she observes scandalously. Well duh! Meanwhile Brother is helping himself to cereal already laid out on the table by Daddy.
Looking at this so far I can see there are several factors outside my control (awake brain; Cat; Boy’s autonomy; Hubby; Girl’s good mood). But who’s to say one can’t groom conditions to *promote* those factors? Anyhow, here my scintillating tale gets better.
ClaraJane resists getting dressed. “Do you want cereal this morning?” I entice. “I want to eat cereal in my JAMMIES,” she declares. And from somewhere deep in my DNA some ancient wisdom seeps up and I say this; “OK.” (Can you BELIEVE that!?) During her breakfast I attempt to get her dressed again (she is 3). I offer her choices and she makes great decisions, but doesn’t want to put them on. “Do you want to get dressed at school?” I ask. “Yes,” she says, agreeably. And guess what; I say OK again!
Jeez Louise I realize now I even got Gavin to do some of his math homework at this time. Just a few minutes but you can make a lot of headway in 1st Grade arithmetic that way. Again with the Husband; he gets on board with the Dress-at-School plan, scoops up the girl, backpack and basket of clothes and conveys them down to the car, offering to bring the car around front to Gavin and I. Gavin is excited about his new book of JOKES (thank you Aunt Jane Ann!!), so he is incentivized to hustle outside with me. I sip my warm tea and breathe in the cold fresh air. Boy and I share a moment inhaling this crisp freshness together, speculating on whether there are nearly imperceptible snow flakes around us or not.
I trade spots with Daddy, who takes his leave with kisses, and kids and I enjoy a peaceful ride to school, full of jokes! “Why is spaghetti smart?” (Always uses it’s noodle, obviously.)
All Fall we’ve been serving daddy’s lovingly prepared breakfasts to the kids in the car, purportedly to save time. Naturally the interior of my car is consequently DISGUSTING. But the past three days. I’m telling you; kids peacefully shoveling cereal in their beautiful faces at the table is WAY better than swirling around underfoot being yelled at through all the paces. Whoooo!
But wait there’s more. Because guess what; We’re early. AND remember; I’ve showered. So let me repeat that; we were early! Gavin pops out of the car to frolic on a patch of ice, ClaraJane wants to be carried, which is great because she’s freaking adorable and still a warm cuddle of pink poodle zip-up footie-jams. She and Brother hug each other at the top of the ramp before parting ways as I have codified –without resistance this day- and CJ and I head to the girls bathroom for a very cute and copacetic costume change. In fact she squeezes my fingers extra firmly walking to the bathroom, and down to her class, which as you know if you’ve ever walked fingers-in-hand with a small child, is Heaven. Acoutrement in cubby, Communication Folder cheerfully plopped in the designated basket, a couple of kisses and she bops on into class. “Good Morning ClaraJane, you look lovely this morning!” says the teacher while solemnly shaking hands with her at the door, “Please come in and choose a book on the rug.” And I swear on Piña Coladas at Trader Vic’s, praise be to Grandma, even her hair was perfect!
That’s it. Cue the victory music as I sashay my way out of school, through puzzled looks into my basket of dirty jammies, through the tide of parental stress and rising barometric pressure chafing at the morning clock as it sadistically hastens it’s march to the inevitable dichotomy of two possible questions;
1) WILL. THEY. MAKE. IT? Or,
2) Where’s your late slip?
Not me. Not this time, suckers! I didn’t even stick around for the morning Pledge Song I love so dear. I’m free. This is Sweet Sweet Victory. Only two and half years of struggle to get here. So, SUCK IT, CLOCK!
Not this time!
OK so I just blew my work time today to write this post, but how else am I to savor every sweet morsel?
circuskitchen 