just another day

Up just after the crack of dawn, which is a usual start for any day of the week, as is for this one.  All the usual morning rituals with N, and he's bouncing down the stairs already proclaiming which toy he wants to start playing with.  I set the water to boil for chai, while N and P dash out to the sidewalk to retrieve the newspaper.  N is a creature of routine and rituals.  Looks forward to doing all these little things every single day.  They come in, and the N runs excitedly into the kitchen and hands me the paper.  I thank him, he says "Welcome".  I hug him.  The next ritual is N and P taking yesterday's newspaper and going into the garage and dumping it into the recyclable trash can.  Back inside, and N is ready for his milk.  Chai for us.  Yep, another morning has begun.  These days, it is still dark when we are up and about, and we are reminded that winter is almost upon us.  We take turns playing with N and getting ready to start the work day.  N makes a perfunctory complaint about not wanting to go to school.  He feels obligated to say that each morning, even though he's only too happy to run in there and start playing with his friends.  I remind him that his friends are going to be waiting there to play with him, and that Ms Judy and Ms Geetha will take him to the playground today, and he might even possibly get to play in the sandbox.  That seems to do the trick.  The complaint is forgotten and he gets ready to eat his weekday breakfast.  I give him a choice between oatmeal and bread with ketchup.  He picks oatmeal.  We set about making it, N helping with every step.  P comes down ready to make his own oatmeal breakfast and I leave the two of them to oatmeal themselves.  I run into the basement and get on the elliptical.  twenty minutes later, I'm in the shower.  I can hear N singing ABCD downstairs.  I slip into black jeans, and a pink sweater.  A quick straightening of my hair, some foundation, a dab of light pink lipstick.  I pick out N's clothes, run down and dress him up.  He wants to take his dump truck for Show'n'share.  Shoes, jacket, more kisses and hugs.  He and P get into P's car.  I stand by the garage door and wave until the car pulls out.  Breakfast for me.  I pull my blackberry out and check my email and calendar.  Mental checklist of all the things that need to be tackled during the day.  Breakfast done.  I slip into my brown knee-length boots pulled over my black jeans.  Quick look in the mirror, I'm ready to face my day.  Jump into my car, put on my hands-free.  Call home and talk to Ma and Pa for the fifteen minute drive into work.  A pretty normal, routine, nondescript start to the day, you might say.  Yeah, maybe, but one that sets me up feeling pretty darned good!