Breakfast

I look forward to waking up tomorrow morning to the sounds of my two year old shouting, "Mommy, I'm awake!" and then if he gets no response starting a persistent chant of "Mom, Mom, Mom" and then escalating to using my first name to get my attention and rise me out of my bed. It is hard to ignore his cute little voice and around 7:30 I motivate myself to go and get him. Starting your day by being greeted by a little squirt with a huge smile is really quite pleasant. He wakes up rarin' to go and I try to keep him quiet so that his older sister can sleep a bit longer. She likes her sleep but is usually up by eight o'clock.

I give him a "lift" down the stairs and we cuddle on the couch for a few minutes while we get accustomed to being awake. "I'm hungry" is a common mantra for B so I stumble to the kitchen to begin our breakfast ritual. Turn on the kettle. Pop in the toast. Grab two yogurts and two spoons. Spread PBJ and then pour my own cereal and milk and try to finish it before it gets soggy. Fix my tea and try to drink it before it gets cold. Conversation usually includes what our dreams were about and if the kids can't remember their dreams then they invariably make something up about monsters - very dramatic. I downplay the horror of their nightmares and try to counterbalance their drama with some uplifting tales of hope and conquer. Or sometimes we just sit in silence amidst the crunching sounds.

We each have our spots at the island where we eat breakfast. It's very strategic. B is at the far end (due to birth order as R and I already had our spots before he arrived). Then there is a chair in between them and R is closest to me. I am on the end with no neighbours. I like it that way because it keeps the jam off of my shoulders.

Some breakfasts are peaceful. Everyone blissfully eats and talks about our plans for the day. Other mornings are a gong show...no one staying in their seats. Or using the middle seat as a bridge to cross into the other sibling's area. Screaming ensues (usually them but on occasion also me). On these mornings I move that little bridge so that each child is an island on their own seat. Often that does not stop B and he tries to "swim" across the counter to get to his sister. These are the high octane mornings. I need two teas on these mornings and then we hit up TH on our way as well!

I know that one day these hour long breakfasts will be a thing of the past. The kids will be sleeping in and then popping in their own waffles. We will all be rushing in different directions. For now, I enjoy the simplicity of our morning routine.