Thursday, December 23, 2010

Sometimes You Feel Like Dancing

It's 6:25 in the morning, it's below freezing outside and I'm in the world's most comfortable bed piled under  a pile of snugly blankets. I hear the little man start to fuss. I quietly make my way into his room, noticing that Kate's light is on, she is quietly playing in her room. I pick up the little ball of fleecy, sweet smelling baby and settle him into my arms, he starts to nurse while I use my iPhone to catch up on the night's news and Facebook status updates. Suddenly the sound of crazed, stampeding water buffalo comes from Kate's room along with the sound of her singing, at the TOP of her lungs. I'm temporarily frozen. I can't take Jack with me, the noise combined with her bedroom light will surely wake him up for the day and I had big plans that involved my cozy bed and soft pillow after feeding him. I lay him on the floor (now crying) and hurry out of his room, throw open Kate's door and for the second time in just a few seconds I'm stunned to the point of immobility. She has her back to me, doing some kind of complicated dance move in only her purple Tinkerbell panties. Her little buns are a wiggling and her arms are above her head but the noise it keeps a coming. Her pjs and the clothes she has picked out of the day are strewn across the floor. Evidently somewhere in the middle of the process of getting dressed she was inspired to do some kind of sing and dance show. Suddenly she twirls and she too is stunned and still. Her mouth is open wide (due to the singing at the top of her lungs) and her eyes are wide too. We look at each other, her stunned silence allows me to hear Jack crying and hungry in the other room.  I somehow manage a stern look and the words, "Ex-cuse me!" Then I shut the door and hurry back into Jack's room before the smile breaks across my face.

I feed him and make my way back to my covers. I'm there for another 15 minutes but sleep will allude me this morning, my mind is too busy now. I want to preserve this memory, this is a moment that I don't ever want to forget. These days will be gone too fast and I know that when they're teenagers and are wanting to sleep in on cold mornings such as today, I will wish to hear those sweet morning voices and to see those tiny buns in Tinkerbell panties.
I start to wish that Jack hadn't been hungry so that I could have scooped her up and danced around the room with her...only I would have stayed fully clothed and used a whisper to allow the others their sleep while we had our moment.

I sneaked down into my office to record the memory on this blog-- tomake a deposit in the savings account of my memories. I hear two little quiet girl voices in the basement now. While I was trying to go back to sleep Brian gathered both girls and scooted them downstairs to allow me more sleep. I love that man more then he knows, and I love these kids of mine. Maybe one day they'll know how much, when they have kids of their own, when I'm sleeping in and dreaming of these days and they're waking up early in the morning to feed their own kids. But for now it's my turn, these are my best days, I have a date in the basement with some sleepy smelling girls.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Bliss

The girls are at school. Jack is playing on his play mat, the sound of the dryer is running in the background, the white stuff is floating outside.
This morning was filled with the sounds of excited chattering since we're having friends over for movies in our pjs tonight. The house is picked up, my office floor is filled with gifts and gift wrap and today is the first day of the December Daily project. Perfection