Quiet Stillness

After having the kids home for two weeks over the holidays, I didn't realize that I had adjusted to the noise level during that time. Well, I realized it after they left for school yesterday morning.

The house was....peaceful. As I sat at the table drinking my coffee and gazing out the window, I enjoyed the sight of soft fluffy snowflakes fluttering to the ground. It gave me the feeling of just wanting to curl up in the recliner with a blanket, hot coffee and a book. A roaring fire would have set the mood too, but I am not fortunate enough to have a fireplace. I suppose I could have thrown in the DVD we have of the crackling fire and background Christmas music.

My peaceful day ended at 4 pm. That's when the bus arrived in the yard, depositing those two little angels I sent off earlier in the day. Bedtime couldn't come soon enough for me. Just because you love each other so much and didn't get to see each other much during the school day, does not mean you can start "loving" each other after you get home. I felt like I had put on a zebra suit and was thrown into the middle of an All-Star Wrestling match. The daughter did everything in her power to ignite her brother with madness. It took us forever to finish up the mounds of homework he brought home because she wouldn't leave him alone. My ears were actually hurting at one point from all the "love" in the room.

Finally, peacefullness once again decended upon my household. Around 10 pm. Luckily, I wasn't tired enough yet and could sit in the quiet for a few minutes before retiring to dreamland myself.

Ah, but that dreamland only seemed to last a few short hours when I was so so rudely awakened by my daughter demanding that I get out of bed and get her breakfast for her. Now, mind you, any other time this 9 yr old, very independent child, can fix herself anything from scrambled eggs to mac-n-cheese in the microwave, so cereal for her is very simple. But not this morning. It seemed that she didn't wake up in time to get her own breakfast and eat it and thought mom could do it faster. This was at 7:25 am and the school bus arrives in our yard any time after 7:50 am. She wanted to argue the point with me instead of going and getting her breakfast.

I eventually put everything on the table for her. I figured she could pour her own stuff and eat it because I really didn't want to eat that kind of cereal this morning. It seemed like every little thing was irritating her this morning, well, everything her brother did. And he was just getting himself ready for school and then tried playing the piano which really set her off again. I think tonight will be an early to bed night....I hope the kids can get their own supper and don't disturb me while I'm sleeping.

So, now...here I sit, once again...at my table with a hot cup of coffee. Gazing out the window watching the snow fall peacefully to the ground again today. I have the feeling of wanting to sit in my recliner, snuggled under a blanket, reading a good book and listening to the crackle of a fire. Ah, the quiet stillness of having your children go to school.