“The plant is growing up to the wall!” bellowed my four year old.
“Mmm hmm,” I replied, as I groggily poured myself a cup of coffee.
It’s another typical morning in our house. The day started with a 6:40 wake-up call from my six-month-old baby. I fed her and before I could slip her sleepily back into her crib, my four-year-old burst into the bedroom to greet both of us.
My day has begun.
We walk downstairs together. I step over my sleepy dog, Maverick, who has made himself a cozy spot on the landing of the staircase. Every time I make this maneuver, I envision losing my footing, falling and landing on him before sliding down the stairs. Perhaps it’s this repeated thought that keeps this dreadful reverie from becoming a reality.
Treehouse is already on the TV. This morning I feel no guilt over my daughter watching a few cartoons…. I’m exhausted. My day begins bright and early, every day, but last night was a rough one. The baby woke up every hour, wanting to be held, wanting to be fed. If only someone could hold me and feed me. It’s going to be a long day and I’m clearly not ready for it.
I put the baby down on her playmat and pepper the area with a variety of toys.
I make a breakfast sandwich for my daughter and slowly eat a banana. I really should exercise. This is my only time to do it. Both children are somewhat content. If I don’t do it now, it will never happen.
I pull out the DVD, my yoga mat and weights.
Once again I step over the dog and go upstairs to change into my workout clothes.
“I can do this,” I mumble to myself as I pull my sweatpants on, “it’s only twenty minutes… then I can proceed with my day.”
I go back downstairs and muddle my way through the workout.
I turn off the TV and go to the kitchen to eat breakfast. I shovel some cereal into my mouth while standing at the kitchen counter… waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.
“The plant is growing up to the wall!” bellowed my four year old.
“Mmm hmm,” I replied, as I groggily poured myself a cup of coffee.
I look at the lucky bamboo that was given to me over 2 years ago. It has grown a lot but why the sudden interest today?
“It’s really bigger now.”
“It’s growing to the wall!” she hollers as she points at the cabinet beside the plant.
I look and see the shadows from the leaves on the wall.
Indeed, the plant is bigger and it’s growing to the wall.
This is the magic of the mundane…
“Every ordinary moment has the potential to be extraordinary”.
A sincere thank you to Sofia from Sofia’s Ideas for inviting me to participate in this blog posting link-up.
This is lovely, it sounds like you have a really hectic lifestyle, I don’t know how you do it!
I’ve mentioned you over on my blog today if you fancy taking a look:http://charlottesweb-blog.blogspot.com/2012/02/5-things-that-made-me-smile_13.html
(I promise this isn’t spam, I actually have!)
i love this post. thank you for it. motivation, phrased beautifully amongst the day to day. also, i’ve been looking for a plant for our house that’s easy to take care of and will grow (that i can’t kill)… do you think bamboo is it?
I vaguely remember mornings like this…and miss them terribly. Be warned, they grow up WAY too fast.
Jennifer, I loved this post through and through. Your writing always resonates with me. It wasn’t just the content or writing style, it was both. I found myself nodding along, not just because I could relate to your thoughts and emotion, but because “I love how she said that!”.
Thank you so much for participating and contributing such a wonderful piece.
@Kiele I am the brownest of green thumbs… so yes, lucky bamboo is the plant for you!
I love reading real life moments. It’s incredible just how hectic life can get. So neat that your daughter helped you find this beauty through ordinary day moments. Thank you so much for sharing, wishing you a beautiful day!
xxxx