My Morning Cup #2

My morning started as almost all my mornings do.  Me groggy, going to the kitchen for breakfast.  Drew heard me as I was getting the coffee ready and asked for breakfast.  I poured him a bowl of Mini-Wheats and he asked me to sit next to him.

Normally I just continue with whatever I am doing in the kitchen and chat with him while he eats, but today I sat down and ate my cereal next to Drew.  Cristina was getting ready to take our youngest to school and my baby and Sean were still asleep.  I had a quiet morning cup of coffee and cereal with Drew.  We talked about his dreams from the night before, "I dreamed about the Six," which is what his clock has to say in order to get out of bed, the fun day he had yesterday in the pool, and his desire to play games.  All in all this was not an extra ordinary conversation, or breakfast for that matter, but I found it to be all the more reason it was special.  I've reflected on not "sluffing off" when my kids reach out to me in my last post, and this last morning I saw this as a chance.  I could have easily said no, finished dishes, or read some internet article, but I sat and had a conversation with my son.

Normally after breakfast it is usually "Sesame Street" time, but we spent the rest of my morning home doing what he loves, books and games.  I let him pick out a board games and I picked one.  We went into the play room and "played" our games.  He was so curious, and into our time together, it reminded me of advice I was given and have since given, "Kids don't want things, they just want you."  After 25 minutes of Robo Rally and Blokus I picked up "Danny and the Dinosaur" and read to him on the couch.

Drew loves picking new games to play

I didn't do anything special this morning, I didn't clean as much as I hoped I could, but the feeling I took with me to work was simply perfect, and a memory I'll hold.  I don't know how long Drew or Sean or even Eva will really want to hang out with me like that, but I do know I'll always want those opportunities when they are gone, and I should take them now.

I felt great this morning, I didn't use my parent crutch of the TV and zombie-ize my kid to get things done, and though my kitchen looks worse for it (as you can see in my title picture), I'm sure my kids will ignore me soon enough after breakfast and I'll have a better opportunity to clean my kitchen.

Life of a cup of coffee, Black (Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Sumatra)