Here's a look at a typical morning for us based on what's happened so far today:
6:00 a.m. - Lucas wakes up bright eyed and very perky -- too perky.
6:15 ish - Papi is the perky morning type, too, so off they go to the front of the apartment to do their thing while Mama continues snoozin'. I don't exactly know what happens here except that they have a clear routine that includes playing hard and eating breakfast. I sleep well, even though I sometimes hear little feet running and all kinds of silliness.
7:00 ish - I hear the drama of Lucas fighting a stinky diaper change in the room next door. I turn over and go back to sleeping.
7:30 a.m. - Like clockwork, I hear Lucas push the door open and come to my side to wake me up. Big, toothy smile and a hug, then pointing towards the door and some emphatic babble, probably telling me to come with him so that he can show me something.
7:45 a.m. - I'm often still in bed. Clearly I didn't follow, but Lucas doesn't seem to care or notice. I grab some breakfast while Papi tells me a few stories about their morning, then head for the shower quickly before Lucas sees me again.
8:00 ish - I hear Lucas knocking on the bathroom door and wanting to come in, then hear Papi telling him that Mama is in the shower and let's go do this-and-that over here. It's still early, which means Lucas is cooperative and doesn't protest long. Papi's distraction works, and they disappear until I'm finished.
8:30 a.m. - I'm finished getting ready and preparing stuff for the day, like Lucas's milk and food, putting stuff away, etc. It's time for Mama to take over so that Papi can get ready for work. I try to check the weather or pay a bill online but it's a useless attempt each time. Still, stubborn Mama sits at the computer and Lucas wants to sit in my lap to check out the
Thomas website. Who knows which part he'll want to watch today, as he's now become pretty bored with it or just particular about which section he wants to explore. We listen to our favorite song SEVERAL times as he shimmies in my lap and we look at each other and smile and sing. Sometimes I open a new tab so that I can sneakily check email or read a friend's blog, but he doesn't always like that. He does like looking at blog pictures, though.
8:45 a.m. - Turn on
Thomas DVD but he pays attention for all of 2 minutes. I turn on a music CD instead. We stack blocks, point to the ceiling fan and lights, sort graduated cups, read pop-up and flap books, then Lucas decides to play independently. I go to the kitchen to continue getting stuff done, and Lucas runs in to check up on me and say hello or a some other babblespeak every few seconds. He has some trinket in his hands and is walking around, stopping from play station to station doing his thing.
9:15 a.m. - We usually get layered up and go outside on a walk here. I go to the bathroom one last time, but Lucas's little internal radar seems to always know when I do because he shows up before I've flushed. Once I'm finished, I tear off one square of toilet paper for him to throw into the toilet. He knows that he only gets one, so he's very careful and satisfied with himself afterwards. We go to the fruit/vegetable stand and the dollar store, and just look around as he points to traffic lights, buses and other large vehicles, car wheels, and dogs being walked. Some well-meaning (older) adult asks me whether or not my son is warm enough, even though he has layers underneath his winter coat, a wool hat covering his ears, and is snug inside a BundleMe, shfitzing. I tell her "Yes, thank you." I think she probably meant that I should cover up his face with a blanket, as some others like to tell me to do. I don't allow her to elaborate, as I receive these types of comments even in 60 degree weather and know from talking to other Bay Ridge parents that we're not the only ones. In the drug store Lucas goes crazy over the Valentine's Day balloons floating in the air. I pull them down to his level for him to touch and go ga-ga. We do this until I'm the one now shfitzing, which means that Lucas must be really uncomfortably hot, so we say bye-bye to the balloons and talk about them for a few minutes more as we walk.
10:00 a.m. - Back home. Turn on PBS so that I can have a free moment to get settled. Lucas eats breakfast #2.
10:20 a.m. - Lucas plays in the front porch placing balls of all sizes inside the hammock and transferring them into the metal cart that we use to lug laundry to the laundromat. This is serious work.
10:35 a.m. - Lucas fights another diaper change, although not as long because he's getting tired and accepts the trinket I give him as a distraction.
10:40 a.m. - Back to the front porch to turn the stroller wheels and play with the balls again. He's looking sleepy, so I hand him his blankie and give him a paci. I pick him up and we stare at people passing in the street and at the changing traffic light at the end of our block. We knock on the window to see if someone will look up and say hi.
10:50 a.m. - Drink warm milk, cuddle on the bed, and read same three or four books in the dark, cozy bedroom.
11:00 a.m. - Into the crib and sleeping. All are happy (especially Mama).
So in the morning there is a pre-breakfast with Papi. This of course occurs a couple hours before actual breakfast and is certainly not to be confused with second breakfast, which occurs a couple of hours after actual breakfast. Pre-breakfast consists of Oatios as an appetizer, then a half a piece of toast with peanut butter as the main course, and it concludes with a dessert of frozen blueberries.
Just so you know, since people keep asking (we thought it was obvious): on the table are our makeshift guards to help out a bit, since those corners are right at the level of Lucas's temple (ouch!) and he still runs like he's a drunkard a quarter of the time.
