Rise and Shine

Abrupt movement at my side of the bed startled me from deep sleep.  And a dream.  A very strange one.

His  voice met my ears in the dark of the very early morning.  How early I wasn't aware of yet.  But my mind was muddled and my voice crackled deep with grogginess.

It was early.

"Mummaaaa...I'm hungry."

"Oh honey..." I lifted the book that blacks out the neon green numbers of my bedside clock..."It's too early.  Just give me a few minutes please."

I see his thisclose to five year old body take a seat oh so patiently on the bench opposite to our bed and I closed my eyes again.

My eyes were closed but my mind could still see him sitting there.  Waiting.  So quietly.

I opened my eyes to find his shadowy figure against the winter grey dawn that peeked from the corners of the window blinds.

How still he sat.

My heart clenched then bloomed as that voice whispered inside my mother-soul.

Someday this won't happen anymore.  Someday he'll be able to get up and make his own breakfast.  There will be no early morning visits to your bedside. Someday...way too soon...snuggles with Mumma will come to an end.

"Why don't you climb up and cuddle with me for few minutes?"  I lift the blankets and he climbs up to form a small S inside my capital one.  My arm wraps so familiarly around his torso, my chin rests atop his sleep mussed curls.

"I was having the weirdest dream when you woke me up buddy.  I was dreaming about talking baby Rhinos named Casper."

"I dreamed that I was at school and we were playing soccer at gym but we were having our snacks too!"

"You were!  Well.  That is a crazy dream."

"Uh huh."

"This week at school you're learning about the letter 'O' right?"

"Yeah."

I began riddles of animals that began with the letter 'O'...a game that has become a ritual for us.

.....A bird with really long legs that can run really, really fast...

....An 8 legged (or armed?) sea dwelling creature...

....A very hairy beastly looking animal..

"Mumma?  I'm hungry."

And the child's hunger could no longer be denied.

Down to the kitchen we went.

But wasn't it so lovely while it lasted?

Oh my but it was.