This was a great morning. The sun shone brightly against a cobalt sky and the air felt cool enough to make the fireplace feel inviting. L rose early with N for father-daughter conversation over cereal and hot cocoa and I got to lounge beneath the quilt until well-past 7, when C awoke, happy to start his day.
I love these mornings, when C's little face sprouts a toothy grin at the sight of his orange juice and he says: "Kank-cue" when I place the cup in his tiny, grateful hands. It's also the kind of morning when a tulle-clad L sets up crayons, paper and scissors under the Christmas tree so she and C can make hand-print turkeys, affording me plenty of uninterrupted time to slowly grind coffee beans, boil water and sprinkle blueberries and flax meal over bowls of Chex. It was also the kind of day when she's happy to show me how Princess Daffodil (the turkey she made) can dance and sing.
After breakfast, I have just a moment to settle into a swath of sunshine on the rug, where the cats have both taken up residence for long winter's naps. There's just enough time to record these precious moments and to take a couple of sips of coffee while I help L with her hand-writing practice and toss the football for C a few times. Soon we'll tidy our nest and head off to the library for the children's Hanukkah party.
Today there will be messes and tears and misunderstandings to come, but it's much easier to be graceful in the face of tedious tasks and tot-sized trials when I start the day with sunshine.
Now that's a good morning:) L & C remind me so much of Maddie & Jake. I love to read your adventures. You are a great writer!
ReplyDeleteOoohh, and can I have a cup of that coffee? I looks great!
ReplyDeleteYou're sweet, Joani. It's neat to know L & C remind you of your two because yours seem to have such a sweet relationship. Thanks for your notes. I always like to read them. The Bible study gang pics were great. We miss you guys and hate that we didn't have the opportunity to wear silly holiday sweaters.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll say it again, you need to submit these wonderful mama stories to some magazines so other work-weary moms can be uplifted.
ReplyDeleteYour breakfast looks (and sounds!) delicious. Did you make the gingerbread house in the background? L is stunning in her white gown and C looks cozy in fuzzy pajamas. What a perfect morning under the Christmas tree!
ReplyDeleteL and N made the gingerbread house one morning. L chose wiggly worms as her candy decoration. They look like they're attacking the little cottage.
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