I Am the Sun

Being the mother of small children is like being the sun in a very noisy and chaotic solar system of child-planets. Wherever I am, they find me and revolve around me. I did an experiment to prove it this morning.

Charlie woke up and was in our room, on my side of the bed, at 6:31 this morning. We came downstairs. He sat on the heating vent. I went into the bathroom to get dressed. He was at the bathroom door within ten seconds, telling me something about his toy sheep through the bathroom door.

We went into the living room.

Cubby came downstairs and joined us in the living room.

I went into the kitchen to make coffee. Thirty seconds later, both boys came barreling into the kitchen in search of money. (Cubby had found a dime somewhere and Charlie wanted one too.)

I sat down by the woodstove. They sat down on the floor at my feet to toast their backs and fight over the coveted dime.

I got up to get my coffee and repositioned myself in the chair in the bay window. They both came charging into the living room to fight over the heating vent.

I got back up to get more coffee and sat down in front of the woodstove. They both sat on the floor in front of the woodstove again, in Cubby's case to draw, and in Charlie's case to irritate his brother.

I know there will come a time when I will miss the days when they followed me wherever I went. Though at the moment, I sort of wish I could just drink my coffee without arbitrating any disputes.