good morning

{i've determined this is my go to picture in times of blogging while sleep deprived.  maybe it will be our code word for GET ME COFFEE.  STAT.}

i'm sitting down to write this post at too early o'clock.  i've got a puppy and dog doing laps around the table fighting like brothers.  i've got a sweet pea standing next to me defiant.  around these parts there's no rhyme or reason to morning.  a boy may crawl into bed at 2am and have fits of nightmares all night.  or a boy may wake at 4:30 ready to read in bed until 6 because "that is one of the options you gave us."  but he may not read until 6 because although he can tell time, he has no concept of time.  he has no way to know that sleep actually helps productivity.  and motivates me to shower.  he has no way of knowing that every time a boy stirs in the night it riles up the creatures to high heaven.  he has no idea that my workouts these days consist of numerous trips back and forth from my bed to the back door.  in the middle of the night.  now the boy has wandered off to read, again.  i have a puppy sitting in my lap licking my laptop/ desktop and an old dog trying to learn new tricks. a baby sleeping soundly for the first time all night {now is not the time to tell me he is not a baby}.   from the looks of it, brad might be worse off than me.

but i'm learning that these are not the times to melt down.  these are not the times to yearn eagerly for my pillow.  these are not the times to be snippy.  these are not the times to skip packing lunches, skimp on breakfast or forgive homework.  these are the times to dig in and rally.  to buck up.  to be present.  if we have a choice, this moment is the one that sets the tone for the rest of the day.  which kind of day will you choose?