Terribly Good Morning and Hub's Be Awake

I hadn't written about a school morning run in a while and I thought since this one went so terribly good I would share with you.

Terribly good being specifically chosen words.

I stayed up way too late last night watching the Goonies.

Because I love that movie and Hubs had never seen it. It's a classic, I love it, and I let S1 watch it till they found the ship and then sent him to bed. Not because I am cruel, but because we don't own the movie and they were gonna stretch that last part over half an hour or longer so to bed he went.

Hubs had to be to work a bit early this morning and here's the thing...he has a Buick. That we call the Be Awake. This is why.....

His car is an old 80's Buick. He is especially fond of this car. The door seals do not seal, there is rust all over the lower portion of the door and you can, truly, be rained on or snowed in on with these doors.

Seriously.

The single most prominent feature of his beloved Buick is the noise.

Long ago, the muffler fell off. Now, he believes this makes it sound "bad" in a good way. He thinks it has more power. The boys think it sounds cool, like a Dukes General Lee. They call it Daddy's Race Car. They love the Buick.

I can, I exaggerate not at all, hear him a mile away.

It also works well for an alarm clock. As soon as he fires up the Buick, which we call the Be Awake because when he voice texts me that he is headed home the Droid hears Buick as Be Awake and the name fits so perfectly we just call it that, you can literally hear feet hit the floor.

And then you can look to the ceiling above and follow them as they stumble through the clothes and toy scattered room. Then you hear them trip down the steps and the slap of their hands on the paneling as they feel their way down, because his eyes will be nearly sealed tight with sleep. S2 will then burst into the too blindingly bright dining room to see his Daddy.

Right behind him will be S4, who wakes up talking and happy. His eyes may not be open but he will be saying full sentences as he arrives down the steps, like "Daddy, today is yellow day and I go to school and Moma already picked out my clothes. Are you going to work? Can you get me a bowl? I need cereal. And a spoon. And milk. And a HUG! And a KISS!"

Hubs always starts the Be Awake first, then hurries back in to catch these two boys in his arms for hugs and kisses before he leaves.

Sometimes, S2 will set his alarm for some early time, like 5:30 AM just to spend more time with his Daddy.

Our morning starts this way five days a week, always the same.

Hubby thinks I am being lazy laying in bed listening to it all. But in truth, I love to hear it, even if it is too early for the boys to be awake.

And I am lazy in the mornings.

But this morning I tried really hard to have at least my hair DRY and SOME make up on before I left to take the boys to school. It's not that I don't mind running errands make up less with wet hair, but, sheesh, sometimes a girl wants to look sorta nice.

And I pulled it off.

But in the process, the three youngest went outside to play IN THE DARK and then came in crying because they were bumping into things...shocker. Because they were over tired. And because I let them go outside so I could "fancy up".

S1 was moping around and I realized he had stayed up too late. And he was mad at me...because I had pulled all the clothes they hadn't folded out into the middle of their room and now he felt overwhelmed by the pile...more so because a friend was coming over. Today. After school.

We left on time, only to realize Sadie was loose. In the house. Where she would, certainly, eat all our garbage, our couch, our table, find a way to open the fridge....

And I couldn't back the suburban up because I could not see out the back foggy window.

Tensions were....strained.

As I flipped through the radio I wondered what the boys would remember about me as they grew with their kids? Would they remember a frantic shrill Moma in the morning? A Mom who scanned the radio constantly and never ever settled on one station for long (I'm notorious for "searching" the best song, all the time).

There was complete silence in the suburban. Sleepiness, irritation, anxiety, boredom...it was all there.

And then I struck on one of my most favorite songs.

Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland.

And I cranked it. I sang loud. I did body sways. I used my eyes to convey words to the song.

I had fun.

We were pulled into school with me jiving away.

I seen S3 feeling it. But S1 and S4 just silently got out of the suburban and waited patiently for me to finish singing. S3 would not look at me.

Great.

So then I turned into caring Mom. I got to the root of what was bugging S1...he needed to know the ending of the movie. He needed me to know he tries to clean his room. I told him I'd help with the room and then he and I were barely walking into school, me explaining in great detail how they load up with jewels, walk the plank, the ship is free, the hero has jewels in the marble bag to save the day.

He smiled for the first time all day.

Score.

Dropped S3 off, and chatted with the teachers about acorn squash. Because we have deep conversations like that in the morning.

Took S2 to his class, where he was thrilled to hear we were having hot dogs. He gave me a huge hug, not caring one bit we were in front of his class.

S1's eyes lit up when I asked his friend if he was okay with chocolate chip cookies.

S3 and S4 held my hands while we walked to class. They both told me they would miss me and that they liked holding my hand.

They both gave me kisses and hugs goodbye.

I returned alone to the suburban, contemplating the morning.

I think I learned two things.

My boys can be bribed with food.

And that even on rough mornings, those boys know I love them more than anything.