Morning has broken

4:45 am Alarm plays Bela Fleck. I am in a cocoon of darkness and blankets. I will wish I were here for much of the rest of the day.

5:05 am My cocoon is pierced by the closet light as Adam tugs on the string.

5:17 am I begin to lift myself out of bed only to flop back down as my better judgment kicks in.

5:19 am I hear Ruthie cough over the monitor and secretly hope she will wake up though I know that her stirring creates dread in Adam who still needs time to drink his coffee before the day begins.

5:23 am I convince myself that I actually need to get up but then I remember how I got ready in 12 minutes yesterday and my better judgment wins again.

5:34 am I throw back the covers, stomp to the closet, scoop my clothes up off the floor and go brush my teeth.

5:44 am The litany of lost items begins: Where’re my keys? Where’s that thing I had in my hand? (Adam: What thing?) You know, that thing. Uggh. And my name tag. Where’s that?

5:52 am I turn our 100 year old (literally) door knob and it makes 3 or 4 loud clacking noises that make Adam cringe since the front door is right by her room.

5:54 am Engine starts and I am running 10 minutes late. And so it goes until I lay back down again. It is still dark.

Sweet Dreams

I took a nap this afternoon. I was tired and full of pizza, and when Ruthie passed out in the car on our way home from the airport, I thought that looked like a good idea. There is something about the depth of a toddler’s slumber that makes me mourn for my present wakefulness. And so I usually end up sleeping too. The sound of her breath always succeeds in lulling me to sleep despite my best intentions to “stay awake tonight” to “get things done.” This has led to my falling asleep before the wee hour of 8 o’clock most week nights. I have been sleeping better than ever and I am in a much, much better mood most of the time. I have not made much of an effort to curb my sleeping patterns since I came across this “Old Proverb” a few weeks ago that has been scrolling like a stock ticker across the bottom of my mind: “A good rest is half the work.” So maybe I’m getting more done than I think I am.