One of the things I look forward to most once school dismisses for the summer is a laid back, relaxing morning. The chore of getting the boys up, dressed somewhat decently, fed, shoes, backpacks, etc. etc. in the morning is like trying to control the chaos at O'Hare airport while speaking only Russian. Sure a few words get through now and then, but mostly the hoards only hear gibberish.
Summer is different. Most days we have nowhere to be at a specific time, and if we do I specifically make the appointments at least late morning. Instead of fighting the "good fight" I usually bow to the electronic baby sitting of video games and T.V. so I can sit in peace on the front porch and watch the world go by. This is the first week we've not been "up and at 'em" and I've really missed my summer ritual.
Mostly I notice the sounds of the neighborhood. Birdsong is almost constant, the twittering of robins, the chirps of house sparrows, and the cries of the always alarmed house wren are easy to pick out. I live near the city pool and mornings are reserved for swim lessons so I can hear and occasional "boing" from the diving board and sometimes screams - particularly if it's the start of a new session and a few new water scared pre-schoolers are involved. There is of course cars driving by and making the corner giving me snippets of their conversations, radio, and sneezes as they pause at the stop sign. Foot traffic is regular but often eerily quite, many times I don't realize someone has gone right past my house unless Callie (dog) happens to be sitting with me and she rumbles under her breathe at them. This summer I have the lovely sound of construction equipment a block over as the utilities are reworked and the street repaved - hopefully that will be completed soon.
My morning time on the porch gives me time to compose my plan of attack for the day, time for the caffeine to kick in, time for Sonny Boy's ADHD medicine to kick in. A calm before the storm of life.
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