These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

"I had a good life, before you came. I had my friends and my freedom. I had my name. Still there was sorrow and emptiness, 'til you made me glad. Oh, in this love I found strength I never knew I had...." Don Henley - "Taking You Home"

Before I started my current job position as stay at home Mom, I didn't know how much fun it would be. I didn't know how much work it would be. I didn't know how much patience it would take. Looking back, I feel like I took the little things for granted in life. But, I have noticed something in the last 17 months that I've been home... entertainment to me isn't watching "Last Comic Standing", it's watching and listening to Samantha and Sarah. They are the epitomy of New England weather: just wait 5 minutes, and it'll change. Only in this case, wait 5 minutes and who knows what they'll be doing.

I begin my mornings like anyone else: hearing the alarm clock gently telling me to get up when all I want to do is tell it to just go away and let me sleep for 5 more minutes. Seeing the alarm clock is on Jeremy's side of the bed, he sits up to shut it off and I already know what's coming...click click click click. It's the sound of Jeremy adjusting the alarm time for another 10 minutes of that oh so wonderful word: sleep. Just as I get comfortable and get the blankets back on me, I hear a sweet, small voice from Sarah in the next room. "Hi!" Usually, it's followed by "Daddy?" and "Mamamama". I don't know what it is, but the next thing I know, I'm wide awake and just listening to that little voice.

So once I change, I stand in the doorway of Sam & Sarah's room and I see this orange light from Sarah's crib. It's coming from Sarah's Glow Worm. By then, Sarah hears the creaky floorboards and realizes that someone is here to rescue her from the crib. After saying "HI" a half dozen times, we start the morning routine of passing the animals to Mommy so we can say good morning and pass along hugs and kisses. Then of course, Sarah has to return the same favor only her kisses are more of an emphatic "MMMMMWAH!" a hug, and a pat on the back of every animal. Meanwhile, I don't quite understand how Sarah can sleep in her crib with all of those animals...but they make her happy. And besides, if they were all in there, they wouldn't all have the hugs and kisses they so deserve, right? It's really a great way to start the day.

We go through our day of usual fun activities, and then after dinner, I get the bath started for the girls. Once the girls get inside the tub, the rule in our house is wash first then play afterwards. Once the girls are all done, Sarah plays happily with her simple toys of water buckets and rubber ducks. Sam is a little more creative and adventurous of course, so she asks for the "paint" with this big hopeful smile on her face. Whoever thought of tub paint was a genius. The girls have so much fun. Who would have thought that something as fun as paint in the tub could be so entertaining? After the girls are dried off and in their pajamas, Sarah proudly sits on the floor saying "Eeeeeeeeeeeee" to let me know that it's time to brush our teeth. Sarah makes all the right noises "Eeeeee" and "Aahhhhh". I'm so glad to see that the girls are concerned about their oral hygiene at such a young age. Afterwards, we head upstairs for my other favorite activity of the day: story time. Samantha loves "Corduroy" and "The Hungry Caterpillar". Sarah loves "Goodnight Moon". As soon as stories are finished, prayers have been said and "I love you. Good nights" are said, it's then I am reminded that we could all learn a lot from a child: take time to smell the roses...or at least take time to hug and kiss your stuffed animals. The little things in life are truly just a few of my favorite things.