Especially in a family with young children - they are busy. And early. I usually sit there in a stupor, until the coffee kicks in. Getting up to pour cereal and pack school bags and lunches and wipe bums; bark orders, sometimes sneak a shower in.
Dave and Tim leave early .... Tim is in his last year of being Dave's apprentice. He's done really well and I'm so proud of him. They start work at 7am so leave at the crack. I get Max off to school, and if it's a daycare day, Rocco goes off too. This morning went really well, despite the rainy cold weather.
The three of us sang made up songs, talked about who would win if the Hulk and Ironman got in a fight (Hulk), and brushed our teeth together. Max started snapping silly photos of himself (NO idea where he gets that from.)
In the car, Max talked on and on about his teeny skateboards:
While Rocco talked and talked about the Hulk and Spiderman:
And I sat there, politely pretending that what they were saying was interesting, making sure to maintain eye contact so they would both feel heard and validated. (My GOD it's boring sometimes.)
Appropriately nodding and agreeing, I kissed Max goodbye, and watched him do his regular "knuckles, hi-five, handshake" with Rocco. Max pleaded with me to buy him another mini-skateboard today with his pocketmoney.
"We'll see, mate."
::
Later, I bought two brand new teeny boards for him, drove back to his school, and snuck them into his lunchbox - on top of his vegemite sandwich, with a note.
"Dear Max, Here are the skateboards you wanted. I love you!
From, the Best Mum in the World. xxx xxx"
His classroom was empty, so I had a snoop around. And wished I could be in his class, just for one day. Sit with him, watch him interact and learn and play. His recent project on the Waratah was up on the wall, the teacher had given it two ticks. I noticed that no-one else had two ticks.
I helped him do it last week. For the first time in a few years I've turned my attentions back to his schoolwork - I want him to reach his full potential, not think he was dumb at school like I did.
(When I was walking past the school hall there was a HUGE explosion and I jump out of my skin, in disbelief but you know, of course a bomb would go off when I'm there. It wasn't a bomb, it was a science experiment. School is DANGEROUS.)
::
I found this in my phone last December - still don't know how he did it:
I can't wait for him to come home today, and hear all about his new skateboards.
I am about to be thrust headfirst into early mornings, Amy starts school tomorrow. Hold me?
ReplyDeleteYou can even get ramps for those tech decks, my son was so obsessed with them that he changed all those teany tiny wheels and made some into snow boards.
ReplyDeleteI fucking LOVE this post. Who, but you, could be bothered (or have the balls) to sneak back to school, break into their kid's abandoned classroom to put a little bit of love into their kid's lunchbox, and then HANG AROUND and snoop?? I love youse all Eden Riley xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteHa! That picture he made is a riot!
ReplyDeleteI'm so much better at night time ... and you are best mum in the world. I hear the "we'll see" coming out of my mouth way too much. x
ReplyDeletenot a morning person, never have been and never will be .... hmm perhaps this is why we haven't been blessed with children? i hear its not "normal" to leave them up to their own devices in the morning while you sleep - especially young ones?
ReplyDeleteplus you cant get up, let them out and then lock them outside while you go back to bed for an hour or so....or can you?
~x~
Duuuuude. Mornings suck balls. Big smelly donkey balls. I think the world would be a nicer place if the beginning of the day happened around 10:30. I could handle that no problems.
ReplyDeleteSkateboards, Hulk and Spiderman at your house, Star Wars, Naruto and bad tweenie music at mine - if we opened up a jail where that was all the entertainment prisoners would never commit crimes. And yet, they're so earnest in their simple pleasures. I do love that.
Can you say Zombie in the morning?
ReplyDeleteWhat Linda said...
ReplyDeleteAlso, mornings are not so bad - I am the first one up most days. As long as no one talks to me the first hour I'm up, things are good. And, on my best days, I get to sleep until 6:45. The thing about mornings is that there is a lot of peace...
My little one is just learning to talk. Every damn thing out of her mouth is just too too sweet and I know all too well that in a few months I'll be wishing she'd be quiet for five blessed minutes.
ReplyDeleteI sooooo hear you on the morning thing sister. I HATE mornings. To the point that I will work night shift possibly forever rather than get up early in the morning. I think back to when I was a kid and my mom would always wake me up loudly singing etc (yes she's a morning person) and then get mad when I wasn't chipper and happy and tell me I was such a grump. No, I just take a bit longer to wake up in the morning.
ReplyDelete""And I sat there, politely pretending that what they were saying was interesting, making sure to maintain eye contact so they would both feel heard and validated. (My GOD it's boring sometimes.)""
ReplyDeleteI perfected this technique. I will tell you now that being male, they are clueless that your mind is really on anything but what they are saying (this is a plus) and when they are adults, they will actually STILL talk to you, and it will at times actually include important stuff. Getting them talking early is key. (though, I won't deny that I still fade off to a tropical paradise in my head when they are rattling on at times about boring boy shit---and yes sometimes they are actually talking about real shit).