Her cell phone alarm repels me from bed. The darkness is thick but I find pants. Our golden retriever knocks me over. I get up and out the door to feed him. Stumbling through the house I kick every shoe and toy. After climbing a few stairs, I stop to savor the silence.
The doorknob feels like ice. I turn it slowly. I want to wake them myself. I sigh. It’s my favorite moment of each day. The epic quiet before I wake my children is when I appreciate my life, the most.
Then, the chaos of the day begins.
****blogger’s note***
This is my response to velvet’s 100 word challenge at http://www.velvetverbosity.com . The one word prompt is QUIET. What you are reading is the start to my day EVERY day, Monday through Friday. I’m a morning person so I volunteer to take out the dog and get up the kids.
Today’s song is from Smashing Pumpkins. Most of Billy Corgan’s songs are dark and depressing masterpieces. This is upbeat tune about taking advantage of who and what you are and living each day to it’s zenith. The guitar is amazing. Here’s Smashing Pumpkins’ Today.
But it’s a charming chaos, nonetheless
wow that was quick…thank you
This is my favourite time of day, too.
I liek seeing them sleep right before I wake them….its what being a parent is about. That moment.
I like watching him sleep, but I can’t bear to wake him.
I’d rather we both slept in more. But the quiet before the chaos is something to be savored for sure.
I don’t like waking the girls either but they’d sleep til the middle of their school days if I didn’t.
OH the argument that is ensuing in my house now and all i i was just gonna say is yeah no dog here so usually my kids wake me up but when i do get up before them oh yes really cool time of day but then my old man heard me listening to this song and said why are you listening to that and i was like uh and he reminded me that i have said for years that smashing pumpkins is boring and he said why are you listening to that and i was like well my friend lance he always posts videos with his blog posts and i liked what he wrote so i clicked because i did not remember but lance says the guitar is amazing and he said huh and anyway i said well whatever what’s so amazing about that guitar and he said yeah well that guy oh he knows the name and you do too lance whatever his name is he is an amazing guitarist and i said oh well i still don’t see what’s so amazing about this and it sounds like nirvana and he said this came out before nirvana and i said well still it’s not amazing i mean really amazing and he said well then you don’t know much about guitar do you and i said WELL THEN YOU AND LANCE CAN JUST RUN OFF AND BE BOYFRIENDS because smashing pumpkins is still boring although i am really not interested enough to actually be taking a position on this and i did really like what you wrote here.
best comment ever? possibly….Billy Corgan and James Iha handle the geetarz for the Pumpkins. I think Corgan did the the guitar for Today. I just love how understated it is. It draws you into the lyrics. I have a love-hate relationship w the pumpkins. I never place them in my top fav bands because teh stuff i hate I hate a lot. The stuff I love , I really love.
Give the huzbin a fistbump for me…
maybe smashing pumpkins is just guy music but i hope you heard that i really like what you wrote here
I love the quiet first thing too. I would prefer it to be Really quiet and child free but my 3 yo is an early riser, rarely sleeps in later than 6am, usually up at 5:30am when I am up.
my teenager would sleep til noon if she could. The 7 yr old maxes out at 7:30am. The 8 yr old gets up 5:30am (same as me). Bobina sleeps like the teen.
waking up teens can be fun . . . in a wicked sort of way.
I miss/don’t miss those days. Well captured, Lance.
They always woke me…rarely experienced the magic moments you described. Well done, Robin
Epic quiet indeed. Very nice.
Absolute perfection. The beauty of embracing the chaos of a parent while appreciating those quiet moments of introspection.
Wait, you wake them up? They don’t come into your room, stand 3 inches from your face, and yell “IT’S GOOD MORNING!!”
No?
Weird.
Bless you, dear morning-person father. My husband is the morning person. I am forever grateful for that extra hour (or 2 sometimes) of sleep on the weekend mornings!!!!!!
Annie would sleep the clock around if she were allowed to – I, on the other hand, would rather get up and get started on the day. sleeping in means you waste too much of the day.
And I like the piece.
thank you Lou
Love this post. It said so much with so few words. Excellent.
I am such a sucker for when you open the window onto your love of your family.