This morning I awoke at 2:30 am and decided to go downstairs to my home office and get all my business taxes in order - because I am crazy. Or, maybe it was partly because Niko had crawled into our bed sometime between when I fell asleep and 2:30 am - and was wedged between Jeremy and I, flailing around in his sleep, hitting me in the face and kicking off the covers. He'd kick them off, I'd pull them back up (it's Michigan, it's damn cold) and Niko would cycle his legs in the air while sleeping and kick them off again.
Regardless.
I was awake and had a busy day of meetings, logos, dishes, website plans, emails, laundry, music lessons, and unpacked lunches ahead, so I decided, what the heck. GET UP. (I've chosen productivity over sleep maybe one other time in my life during college when I had a term paper due the next day and decided I'd better start it at 11 pm the night before.)
Any way, I got up, I was productive. Very productive, and somewhat cross-eyed. At about 5:30 am I received a text alert notifying me that the children's school was delayed for the five hundred millionth time this winter due to the fact that Michigan is a frozen hell and it's too dangerous to drive anywhere during the months of November through April.
So, feeling pleased knowing I didn't have to wake my precious angels from their slumber, I tip-toed upstairs into the dark hallway and very quietly closed the bedroom doors, thinking how sweet my sleeping babies are and how lovely it is that they don't have to be awakened/(awoken) for school - rather, continue their blissful slumber (SLUMBER THAT WAS STOLEN FROM ME!), er, because it is so peaceful and wonderful to let them get their rest, the little dears.
At about 7 am the 6 year old boy genius popped out of my bed and, naturally, his older sister awoke shortly after ...because that's just what they do. Wrapped in their blankets, they plopped on the sofa in front of the cozy warm wood stove and flipped on the TV. I noted to myself how angelic they looked and how much I adore them, then, walked over to give them each their morning mommy "I love yous" and kisses on their bed-heads.
I decided to be an extra good mom and cook my overgrown babies a hot breakfast, since having an extra two hours (due to the school delay) doesn't usually happen on a normal Wednesday. Let's seize the moment, right? I whipped up cheesy scrambled eggs, buttery toast, bacon, and orange juice with cloth napkins and silverware delivered by their sweet, over-achieving mother at the coffee table in front of the sofa where they sat. A special treat for two special kids.
Within 5 minutes of finishing their celebratory school delay breakfast they were at each other's throats. Yelling. Fighting. Kicking. They've been doing this lately and I don't like it. I DON'T LIKE IT ONE BIT. Do they have cabin fever? Is this normal brother and sister behavior - maybe clashing hormones? (I only had one sister who I treated like shit, I don't know these brother/sister things.)
It might have been my lost hours of sleep, or too much coffee, or the hanging stress of work projects, or simply the slightly psycho 34 year old fed up woman in me, but I lost it.
"YOU!" I yelled, in a deep, demonic voice, looking and pointing at Niko.
"YOU!!" I yelled equally as loud and vicious, pointing at Kyra.
"STAND HERE. NO, HERE. HERE!"
Awkward pause.
"LOOK AT ME."
I think they were actually frightened. I'm usually really nice. Really. As I yelled, I heard the freezing Michigan "snow day wind" and ice whipping outside the windows. I thought of the front sidewalk that was buried in white stuff, and in desperate need of a shoveling that I had to do myself after I cleaned up the breakfast dishes.
"GET YOUR COATS! GET YOUR HATS! GET YOUR MITTENS! GET OUTSIDE, SHOVEL THE SIDEWALK,
AND (then my voice got even more evil and deep)
DOOOO NOOT COME BACK IN UNTIL IT'S FINISHED!!!!"
They ran for the coat rack.
I chased after them, ranting, "DO YOU WANT TO FIGHT MORE???!?? GREAT!!! I'LL FIND MORE CHORES. FIGHT AGAIN, I DARE YOU. YOU CAN WASH OUT ALL THE TRASH CANS NEXT. THEN YOU CAN ORGANIZE THE BASEMENT."
...
They shoveled that sidewalk perfectly. Kyra came in and packed school lunches. Niko went upstairs and made his own bed himself.
I drove them to school and they were happy. We all sang to the radio together in the car. We saw a huge hawk kill another bird in our driveway and stopped to look at the blood and feathers after it flew away. They even kissed me goodbye. I told them I love them and hoped they have a wonderful day.
I've been in a great mood ever since. And my taxes are in exquisite order.
