Darwinian weekend
Weekend mornings are an evolution. 1, 2 then 3 the children emerge in various stages of development but end as one in the same organism trailing at various lengths from the others but tethered by some invisible sinew electrified and taut, snapping with a whine, a scream, the pain of dependence in this amoebic mess of a morning. It’s breakfast time, and they remind us painfully and repeatedly with their bedside petitions for “raisin cereal” or requests to play the XBOX at what time is it?
This is Benjamin. Usually awake by 5:45 or 6 with no in between. He snaps to and is already training like a Ninja before leaving his bed. Jake up the street has been teaching him some moves.
Abigail is shortly after. She wants breakfast too, a fresh pair of pants and her hair up but then she can be preoccupied by a book or a song in her head, which she can dance to alone for more than an hour.
And I can still hear Sarah Kate snoozing over the whir of refrigerator and noise box. She snores lightly and sleeps heavily and used to, when she was younger, say loudly “I am awake. I am awake.” (Sarah did this until she learned from her older two that she could climb out herself.) Two-year-olds have mastered the art of chipping away with repetition, partly because they have no concept of how long ago they said the thing they’ve said every 30 seconds for as long as it takes. It’s like that dog barking into the night the same bark. Dogs and children can say the same things over and over, expect different results, and get them.
And cats, too. The black one we own, Oscar, meows through every room in the house at irritating times until someone feeds him or, stranger, turns the shower on then off so he can lick up the beads of water from the shower floor. He’s also been known to eat, or at least chew through, large amounts of plastic and power cords.
Each emerging life form is a threat to my survival as I fight keep my wife in her sacred sleep. This morning I succeed.
March 8th, 2010 - 10:15
What a picture of the reality of parenting. By the way you used to climb out of the crib into the late hours of the night. I had to post watch outside your bedroom door until you were finally asleep.
March 9th, 2010 - 07:20
Is there a “thumbs up” button?
Seriously, I enjoyed this. And I understand, as much as a parent of an only child can understand the world of a multi-child household.
Stylistically, very enjoyable. I suppose that writing professionally as long as you have has facilitated finding your voice. Still looking for mine…