My Morning With a Toddler

My toddler loves to sleep in. He usually wakes up at a very agreeable time of 5:15 a.m. and kicks his door so sweetly until I go in and ask him to get back into bed. He always says yes, jumps right back in and gives me a sweet kiss.

“I’m so sorry for waking you up, enjoy the next couple of hours sleeping in mommy, I love you.”

Today was one of those perfect mornings with my toddler, and here is how it went.

 At 5:17 a.m. he picked out his outfit for the day. This was a fun task! He was so understanding when he realized his favorite shirt was in the dirty hamper. He certainly didn’t try to go and find it, while bulldozing his way down the hallway, screaming, narrowly missing his baby brother who was crawling around patiently waiting for us.

By 6:30 a.m. he was wearing a shirt that he graciously let me put on him, and while I held ice on my freshly bruised cheek, from a foot that just happened to be flying in the air, I offered him toast and peanut butter for breakfast, which he loves. He said yes, and as it was toasting, I popped a pod in the Keurig, and the wonderful aroma of caffeine filled the air. As I was about to grab the mug, the toast popped up and a soft, quiet voice yelled “TOAST! MAMA, TOAST!” I turned away from the mug and grabbed the toast and PB to spread it on.

“I do. I do.”
“Sure baby, you do it.”

 He grabbed the blade and I quickly grabbed his hand to show him how to properly hold the knife. I obviously did something terribly wrong. He couldn’t handle the horror and his feelings over took his logical thinking and the entire town could hear noises from my house, that would probably have the police at my door. He calmed down, and together we put peanut butter on his toast.

I put it on a plate and went to grab my coffee.

“Mama, milk please” … I poured him his milk and went to grab my coffee; before I made it to my coffee, I hear his sweet little voice.

“No toast.” Want Eggos.”

 I explained to him he’s not having Eggos today and that he can eat his toast and drink his milk. I turned around to grab my coffee… Somehow the plate must have had springs on it because it is now all over the floor and the dog is eating it up. My toddler is now crying because the dog is eating his toast.

“Mama, toast?” My coffee is now cold.

By now it was about time to start getting ready to go to daycare. Of course, before we started to get ready I insisted he go pee. Of course, I trust my toddler when he said he doesn’t have to pee because toddlers always tell the truth. After getting his jacket, mitts, hat and boots on, loading the baby into car, getting him buckled in I hear his sweet little voice say:

“Mama, pee.”

All three of us head back inside so my toddler can pee.

I always treat him to a couple Timbits on our drive to daycare which is 30 minutes away. (60 cents is a small price to pay for an excuse to get a coffee for the drive!) Halfway through our drive he usually asks for them. Today it went like this:

“Mama, Timbits please.”

I handed him a Timbit and he dropped it. I handed him another one, and he dropped it. The next 15 minutes of our drive to daycare were the most peaceful 15 minutes of my life.

I said goodbye at the door, and the tears were streaming down his face.
As I drove away,  I started to cry. I missed him already.