So it appears we are raising a whole family of morning people. Woot Woot! As a self-proclaimed morning person, this makes me happy.
The big boys have an alarm set for 90 minutes before they have to walk out the door. Yes, 90... that is not a typo. For the record, it takes them far less time to actually get themselves to a point where they are ready to walk out the door - and I have questioned this early alarm many times. They claim that they like to get up so they aren't rushed in the morning. They get up and normally walk into our room for good morning hugs. (Good morning hugs... sigh... one of the very best parts of being a mom!) Then they head downstairs - almost always as a little party of 2 - and make breakfast. This leaves them plenty of time for Spencer to make himself a lunch (Quinn prefers to buy) while Quinn chills out with some TV or his iPod. All of this before 7 AM.
Beckett typically makes his appearance at some point during the "get ready" hour. He is a little more needy because he's still in his crib and needs help to get out. For the record, he's capable of getting himself out, but he doesn't like doing the dismount by himself. And I am A-OK with that! Many, many times Spencer is actually the one to get Beck out of his bed. (And every time this happens my heart bursts with love and I thank my lucky little stars that I have such awesome boys!) Beckett is normally satisfied with some chocolate milk and a show (currently Diego) as we finish getting ready.
Zane is a bit of a wild card. Some days he wakes up with a halo over his perfectly coifed curly blonde hair and gives jaw-droppingly beautiful smiles as his blue-grey eyes twinkle. Other days, it's best to just leave him alone... One thing that Zane has gotten into the habit of doing lately reminds me of my New Year's resolution. (Anyone else still keeping your resolutions???) If you remember, my resolution was super easy - it was to hug more. And Zane loves his first morning hug more than any of his brothers. He likes to hug in a full-body, squeeze me tight kind of way. And his morning hugs last a long time. Even on busy mornings, when I know I don't have an extra 4 or 5 minutes to just sit, I hug him back. I resist the urge to be the one to break the bond. This is tough for me! I have a hard time stopping and just BEING when there are things to do and schedules to keep. But with Zane, I let him decide when it's time to pull back and stretch his ever-growing legs and scamper off to find a playmate. Someday I hope he will remember those early morning hugs. I cherish them.
The only problem with having a whole gang of wide-awake and ready to go people in the morning is that our kitchen, which is actually pretty large by most standards, gets SUPER busy. As in ALL of the living, breathing beings end up needing to be in the same space. There are sandwiches being made and fruit being cut and nutello being smeared onto waffles or toast. There are dogs wanting food and then water and then a lick from the peanut butter spoon. There are TV shows to turn on and little bodies to dress and sippy cups to fill. There are last minute papers that need to be signed and spare clothes that need to be labeled. It's both a beautifully choreographed dance and a loud chaotic zoo.
Today's picture is pretty indicative of a very normal scene in our kitchen in the early morning hours. A couple of brothers playing together - in this case Spencer and Beckett - and a dog checking things out. I could have cropped out Willow and just sent along a picture of a clearly happy Beckett, but the chaos is part of the fun. The constant motion and noise is what I want to remember. I love this crazy little family!
When I leave in the mornings (because to get to leave first while Bob wraps up morning prep), I make a point to say goodbye to each of the boys and tell them they are loved. Sometimes, like this morning, I do goodbye hugs and kisses and then get side-tracked before I actually leave. On days like this, I always do a last minute "Good Bye Boys! I love you" holler as I head out. And if I'm lucky (as I was this morning), I am treated to a chorus of "Bye mom. Love you", "Bye Bye mommy", "Bye mama, wuv you", "Bye! Love you too" from all corners of the house. There is simply no finer music than that.
Have a great week everyone! We have a full schedule of school year-end activities as the boys only have 1 week of school left! We have a pre-K graduation and a 5th grade graduation next week before we head north for my cousin's wedding. Spencer is actually on a field trip to the middle school today. He is so very excited to be moving on to 6th grade - and a new school! He will leave behind many of his school friends due to the way our schools are districted, but he's ready to make some new friends. He's ready for some additional freedom. He's SO ready! And I'm so proud that he's got enough confidence and courage to tackle this new challenge with excitement. I can't wait to see him as a middle schooler!
One last update - lacrosse season is over. Bummer! We had SO much fun this spring. I love that sport more and more with every game I watch. And I know I've said it before, but I thoroughly loved watching my boys play on the same team. It may never happen again... so I'm doubly glad that they had such a great experience. Their team won the league championship in a close, rainy game last night. Spencer was a beast in goal! Quinn had some tough missed passes on attack, but got to play in a very close game. The final score was 4-3 - a true nail biter - and left our boys on top of their league with an undefeated season. So much fun!
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