The Early Birds...

At some point over the years, as I aged and matured and acquired a taste for vegetables, I started waking up earlier and earlier in the morning.  Even before we had a baby the writing was on the wall. In fact, I think we only had a kid so that we'd have an excuse not to go out on the weekends.

But last Sunday things got a little ridiculous. We were up before seven like always, I was in the living room, sipping coffee when, I noticed some dog hair on the couch. And then even more underneath the couch. Suddenly I was up, ready to take on the day. My wife’s face lit up as I dragged in the vacuum (trust me, I know how lame this sounds) and just like that we were cleaning. Like, really cleaning. I lifted the couch up and she vacuumed underneath it.

But that wasn’t all. Our son got in on the action, and then my wife appeared with the mop, all excited and crazy eyed. I moved some plants outside. Things got out of control. We were a pot of coffee short of grabbing the sledge hammer and opening up the wall. Then we took a deep breath.

It was 7:30 AM

While the rest of the neighborhood slept peacefully, our living room was turned upside down while our son yelled in attempt to mimic the sound of the vacuum cleaner, a very high pitched, ear piercing vacuum cleaner.

I never imagined such circumstances. I plant things. I buy stain. Thinking about buying a rain barrel really gets my juices flowing. Our house rises with the sun, lunchtime often feels like suppertime, and by evening time, the morning seems like yesterday. We start off strong, all of us, but after dinner, by 8 o’clock our house starts gearing down. You can feel it. Even the dogs take their spots, and a yawning competition ensues.

Boring? Sure, for some. But I like things the way they are. There was a time when I would go to bed at 6am, sometimes not at all. I was young and restless and blah blah blah. I’d sleep until noon and do it all again. These days if I want to see the sunrise, I don’t have to stay up for it. I can just go outside and watch it with my family.

 

 

 

Stop By....Anytime

Hey how are you?  Thanks for stopping by.  Let me tell you, we've been busy. The yard isn’t what it used to be, I've managed to get the grass cut but had to stop there.  I was all set to trim the hedges when there was a red alert diaper change and then an impromptu nap time in my arms…..end of workday.

Don't mind the barking, the dogs do that now, a lot.  A new development.  A cry for attention (I know all about crying these days).  They like to make a fuss and then look to me with those precious moments eyes, pouring it on thick with their best In the Arms Of A Stranger stares.

Anyway, welcome inside…

Watch your step, my wife’s breast pump/purse is on the floor near the door. She must have dropped it when she came home,stumbled through the door exhausted, mumbling something about school. Oh watch that!  Let me move the car seat, weave around the diaper bag and then sidestep the recycling…..there we go!  I should take that out.

How's my wife you ask?  Oh uh, I saw her a couple of days ago, passed her in the hallway. It was her turn to shower, long overdue I'd say. We're thinking about both showering one day and having dinner....at the dinner table....together. 

Are you okay, you look....uncomfortable.  Here, look at this picture of my son I took yesterday!

Please excuse the mess, we run the dishwasher at all hours like a hospital kitchen. The laundry grows like kudzu, piles of twisted and tangled outfits that climb from the floor while overtaking shoes, books, and even small furniture. Wayward socks can be found, one here, three there. Their infestation is stifling, nesting in corners of the house, behind chairs, seeping into drawers, and between sofa cushions along with the hats, jackets, pants, and diapers, plenty of diapers…

Oh you went to see a band...at 10 pm.  I was asleep at 9, but I'll play some music, just shake one of the toys in the pack-and-play to hear some tunes. Catchy huh? I find myself humming them at work.  Other’s make loud zinging sounds that prompt the dogs to bark and the cat to dart down the hall….oh yeah, we have a cat…

Let me get you something to drink…actually if you can just open the fridge and grab a water for me….the top shelf is breast milk, not bad with Cheerios if you're in a bind.

Wow, haven’t seen you in a while, how have you----hang on, Mason, give me the nuk, No!  Sorry about that, the dogs love these things, pretty expensive treat you know?

But we're getting by, working on four months now.  And you know what they say, after the first year you're in the clear...

What?  Don't they say that?

Oh, leaving so soon?  I feel like you just got here. Oh well--can you take this diaper genie bag out to the trash on your way out?

And here's one last picture of....Oh okay...See you later!