Times, They are a Changin’
I want to first comment on how sad I think it is that the friendships we make in adulthood rarely get the chance to be as thorough as the ones we had growing up and into college. We rarely get to have sleepovers. We’re never together 24/7 eating meals, holding hands, talking into the dark wee hours with our best bud when we’re supposed to be going to sleep, “studying” for finals or going on road trips. Why must we be grown ups, with responsibilities and an increased need for sleep? Well, despite the fact that we don’t get nearly enough time with the friends we make now, somehow we continue to have deep, meaningful relationships and for that I’m glad. But, I digress. This post really has nothing to do with friendships, other than the fact that when I started typing, I wanted to say, “As most of you probably know,” but then I realized, that most of you, unless you’ve lived with me or we started our friendship before 2000, probably do NOT know. Anyways, I am NOT a morning person. You may be thinking, “yeah, I did know that.” If you go to church with us, you know we’re nearly always late because I just can’t get it together. If you work out with me at 8:30 am at Jazzercise (that’s right, Jazzercise. Go ahead and make fun of me. But when I’m a toned little hottie, you’ll think twice about giving me crap about “jazz hands” or what have you) you know I need as much help as possible getting me and my kiddos through the door that early in the morning (Thanks for the help girls). You may be thinking, we’ve seen your still wet hair and no makeup at work, so we figured you weren’t exactly loving mornings. However, by the time I get to all my morning commitments, I’m usually my regular talkative self. Unless you’ve been with me when my eyes open and for the next hour or so, you wouldn’t know that I rarely speak 5 words before breakfast. My brain just can’t make it happen. I quietly rise and get to the task of teeth brushing and showering. Even when Nate used to drive me to work, or when I used to ride 30 minutes with my BFF to school, I generally never spoke a word. The irony of all this, is that my daughter opens her eyes and speaks. Yeah, there are the days when she wants to lay in bed and be a lazy waker-upper. But for the most part, when she’s up, she’s UP. Now, that I’ve given you more background info than you ever wanted, I am going to blog about what happened during the first 10 minutes of my day today.
6:00am Sutton wakes up. I don’t wanna keep going in to put the paci back, so I bring him to be with me. Funny how if he has a human touching him, the paci no longer matters. He goes back to sleep, and so do I.
6:30am Natalie is crying, “Mommmmmy. Mommmmmy.” I pick her up, help her find her paci and put her in bed with me too. She goes back to sleep, and so do I.
7:30am I wake up. Time to feed Sutton. Get him up and sit in bed by Natty. Natalie wakes up and looks at me. This is where my “First 20 minutes” starts.
Natalie: Brudder awake, Mom? Brudder awake? Brudder awake, Mommy?
Mom: Uh-huh. (kiss Nat)
N: I see him, Mom? I see him?(Nat kisses Sutton) Brudder eatin, Mommy? Mom, brudder eatin?
M: Yep. He’s eating.
N: I need breakfast too Mommy. I need my clothes on. Mom, where’s Bithabel? Where’s Bithabel Izzy, mommy?
M: She’s at home.
N: Oh. Where’s Titus? Where’d Titus go? Where Titus Mommy, Mom? Where Titus Mommy?
M: They're at home, honey.
N: Titus Daddy at work, Mom? My Daddy at work too? Where Mr. Joe, Mommy? Where Mrs. Renee?
M: She’s at home with Isabel and baby Gabe.
N: Oh. I call Mrs. Renee, Mommy. I call her, okay? (reaching for the phone on our nightstand, gets distracted by books) Books, mommy. I have ‘em? I have em Mommy? Heavy Mom. That one heavy. (Sees ink pen and tries to write on paper) That not work right now mom. Daddy fix it, okay? (Sees alarm clock) I play the game, Mom? I play the game?
M: Sure Honey.
N: See mom? See? (drops clock on bed, spots pacis) I put pacis away Mom? I put em away? Mommy, Mom. Brudder eatin, Mom? Look at my nails, Mom (pointing to toes). All paint Mom. My fingers all paint too, Mommy.
M: I see them. They’re pretty, Nat.
N: What’s that mommy? What’s that mommy? What’s that Mommy? What’s that thing? Whoa!
M: The curtain?
N: Yeah, the curtain.
M: It covers up the window.
N: Covers the window Mommy? Hey Mommy. Mom. Mom. Mom. This Daddy bed? This Daddy bed? This Daddy bed?
M: Yep.
N: This Mommy bed right here? (Sutton finishes half his meal) Brudder done eating Mom? Brudder all done?
M: Not yet.
N: I watch Nemo? (slides off bed, walks toward TV)
M: No movies this morning, honey.
N: Oh. I shut door Mom. I shut it. (walks into bathroom, finds deoderant on counter, returns to bed) Pull my sleevies up Mommy. Pull up my sleeves Mom. (I oblige) I try it Mom? I try it?
M: Sure
N: Daddy break it. It not workin right here. (goes back into bathroom and plays for a little while)
M:(I finish feeding Sutton, change him, dress him) Natalie come here sweetie so Mom can change your diaper. Nat? Natalie, I need you to come in here so I can change you. We need to go so Mommy can exercise. Natalie?
(Silence. Funny, huh? I turn to face her and she’s just looking at me. Her pj’s are off and her shorts are half on.)
N: Got my shortsees on Mommy. My pockets. Two pockets. (She found the shorts on the bottom of a stack of folded clothes in a basket in our room. I pick her up to put her on the bed) No, don’t hold me up here.
N: (Change her diaper. Put on her clothes and try to stand her back on the floor) Hold me up, Mommy. Hold me up.
No more silent mornings for Me, I guess. Or afternoons or evenings for that matter. Good thing I love that little voice. I suppose I wouldn’t have it any other way. Well, maybe one quiet morning here and there would be nice…but, then I’d miss her. Ahhh, parenting.
Here's to all those Mommies out there, uh-huhing their way through their days. You're not alone. :)
