Morning Mantra

Have I told you I love my new job? I’m going to tell you again. I like to tell people that if you love what you do, you never have to work. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be a downside, every job has its down side, it’s is just I don’t feel the shortcomings in my job like I have in others. Still my job has the usual pitfalls: dealing with personalities, the commute, the cubical office, oh yeah, and getting up in the morning.

My internal alarm clock goes off before sunrise just about every morning. J. had a hard time sleeping during the pregnancy, so she would sleep in, and now, with the baby keeping her up at night, getting rest is twice as difficult. With my new job she has been taking all of the baby time at night so I can be rested and perky at school. I am deeply grateful.

Still, Scout likes to wake up about 6:30, and when I say “about” it can be 6:15 or even 5:30 on occasion, or 7:30 on occasion, and there really isn’t any good way to let a two and a half year old run around unattended in a dark house early in the morning. I can stumble bleary eyes in to the living room and am just as likely to find her snuggling on the couch as I am to discover her waist deep in some kitchen cabinet where she has found a bag of brownie mix or cereal flakes or ramen noodles and is busily devouring them like a little mouse. Still, compared to Jenny’s late night job, mine is easy.

There is one day in particular that is the hardest. (I won’t tell you which) but I have night classes on each of the two previous nights, so by the third morning I am a bit punchy. Scout was up early and I fell into my ritual of checking email, blogs, and news while the coffee brews, and then shuffled down the hallway to wake G. for school. G. has had nothing but glowing commendations of her school and teacher so I was a little startled by the conversation that followed the gentle rocking of the shoulders to wake her.

“I don’t want to go to school Daddy.”
“Why not Baby?”
“I don’t know, I just don’t” Then with a moment’s reflection, “I am tired of school today.”
“I know Baby.” I said reaching for her uniform.
“But Daddy, I’m not going to school today.” She said quizzically looking at the outfit.
“Well,” I said, “you still have to get dressed right?”
This seemed to make sense to her and she allowed me to help her transition from jammies to school clothes. “Come on, lets go get your hair brushed.”
“Why do I have to brush my hair? I am not going to school.” Becoming more defiant.
“Because it is a mess.” I lead her to the bathroom and placed a brush in her hand then turned and headed to the kitchen to make her lunch. I returned about ten minutes later to find her curled up in a ball and hiding behind a cabinet. This girl was serious.
“Come on Baby, your lunch is ready.”
“I am NOT going to school.”
“I’ll tell you what.” I said with a bit of a sigh, “you go to school and I will let you pick out some candy for your lunch box, for today's dessert. O.K.?”
She thought about it for a minute. “Can I have a piece of candy right now?”
“Sure.” I said. “But just for today,” I added not wanting to create some kind of precedent. “You can have a piece of candy right now.”