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Lindsay Metcalf
on Jun 19 2013 - 06:00 AM
My top five most important moments of the summer so far
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mara williams
on Jun 18 2013 - 06:00 AM
Hey, manchild, mama says: clean your room, wash the dishes, don't drink and drive.
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Emily Parnell
on Jun 16 2013 - 06:00 AM
Eating fresh, local produce is good for body and soul
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Jim Cosgrove
on Jun 13 2013 - 06:00 AM
I just want to buy some pants. Please, turn down the music.
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Our couch is really pretty comfortable for sleeping. And the recliner isn’t too bad, either. Recently I’ve been rotating between the two. Here’s how I ended up there…
This morning it happened at four o’clock. Sometimes it’s at three a.m. or as early as 1:30. But lately it’s been two or three times a week that one of our two girls crawls into bed with us in the wee hours. More times than not it’s our 30 pound four-year-old. She’s so little and cuddly and cute that it’s a joy to have her nuzzle in close as we drift back to sleep. That is until she starts flailing her arms, snoring, and elbowing me in the head. For a wispy waif, her bony arms can pack a punch. And she has this startling habit of periodically reaching out and running her hand over my face (or my wife’s face) just to make sure that one of us is still there.
A month or so ago this all seemed really adorable – for about 20 minutes. Last week it was cute for about 10. This morning, shortly after she climbed into bed and kissed me, I grabbed my pillow and shuffled off to the couch in the living room. I don’t mind, really. Sometimes sleeping for a few hours in a recliner is actually easier on my healing back. It’s become quite a cozy spot.
Then most mornings, shortly after 6:30, our seven-year-old human alarm clock startles me out of slumber with a tap on the arm, and then snuggles into the chair with me as the room slowly fills with morning light. I cherish this time. Sometimes we talk about school or nature or God or whatever is on a seven-year-old mind. And sometimes we just hold each other in silence and relax into the rhythm of our synchronized breathing. What more could a parent ask for?
I love these rituals, even if it disrupts my cherished sleep. As long as our girls want to crawl into bed (or a chair) and snuggle with us, I’m all for it, because pretty soon they just may be too-cool-for-school to want much to do with us. I’ll wait until then to catch up on my rest.
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