morning light with my girl

To say that I'm becoming a morning person would be very untrue and a little laughable. But. That said, I have been rising before sunrise with the babe (she's not a sleeper, I tell you) on the nights when Steve's been up late with her (this too shall pass, this too shall pass.). And there's something so magical about those hours of stillness. So quiet, and fresh, and soft, really. I love the ritual of walking around the house quietly turning things on, opening things up, and clearing out for the day. Adelaide toddles about around me, helping as she does. And then we head to the kitchen, where the coffee is started, and breakfast is begun. A little clean up, singing with my girl, and just as the muffins come out of the oven, the sun begins to rise and shine right in through the kitchen window. Coffee's done. We set out some food, she brings some from her kitchen. And we sit in the stillness. And read or sing. And wait for the pitter patter of little feet above, followed by a "good mor-ning!" from the top of the stairs.

And just as amazing as the stillness is the way in which that stillness turns into noise and life in an instant.  Just like that, the day has begun.

{A very happy March 1st to you!}

Comments

[Meredith]

I love those photos...the sunlight just peeking in on the light wood. And the image of you two puttering around the kitchen. What a sweet way to begin a new day.

And yes, the quiet disappears in an instant here too!!

Have a great day.

[Jennifer]

Beautifully written. Our mornings exactly.

[kali]

The mornings are my favourite time...it's the possibilities of the brand new day, and seeing the faces of my loved ones.
Love these pictures of your morning with your girl.

[nina]

aaah! march. thanks for the reminder that feb. is finally over!

[heather]

beautiful. i especially love imagining Adelaide puttering about in your footsteps, bringing her own contribution to the family table, so sweet.

[Azziria]

I'm the early bird in our family, and the early morning is my favourite time of day. In the summer (or whenever the weather is mild enough) I get up and go outside to sit on the stoop with my cup of tea and the cat, listening to the birds and just being. The first child up is usually my DD (now aged 7) who searches me out for a cuddle and a chat about anything and everything, ranging from what's happening at school to which planet will burn up first when the Sun starts to die (yes, honestly - that was yesterday's little convo). I treasure this morning time so much :-)

[Lissadell]

So poetic! My 15 month daughter loves to rise with the roasters. I do look forward to the day when I can sleep in a little longer, but I wouldn't give this time up with her for the world!

[Amy]

Happy March. Happy morning.

[klay]

I don't know how to describe how lovely this seems. I hate getting out of bed but I love getting up early. Mornings have a magical quality I think.

[kaytee_did]

How lovely! Happy March to you and Steve and the kids.

[ilse]

when I read your lovely morning story, I'd wish I had "morning" children. Really they all sleep late, usually I have to wake them up and they don't stay up late. Most of the time I see it as a luxe, but heum when I read your post , I long for a morning like yours.

P.S. I love the little cock.
p.s2 happy March 1st to you too.

[Eren]

Happy 1st of March to you too~ we are off to the thrift store to celebrate. That is if this crazy weather allows today.

[Kelly]

Yes, indeed, Happy March 1st! A lovely month 'tis...me Birthday (on that other lovely day of the month Saint Patrick's Day)...Spring (well, the promise of Spring, any who...)...much to get up early for and celebrate! Enjoy!

[Nicola]

This has made me smile today! I am sitting here with my 3 month old daughter while Papa and her brother sleep soundly downstairs. I am watching the sun rise while she lays gurgling on her blanket and I drink probably my only hot cup of tea for the day! Maybe I should go and make some muffins now....yours look so delicious!

Happy March 1st, we celebrate St David's Day today back home in Britain - so either eat leeks or pick daffodils today!

[hannah]

this is how i picture my mornings beginning when i finally get to stay home with the littles. love this post amanda, and the photos are just perfect!

[jenny]

welcome march! this morning i woke up to make everyone french toast...no sun, it has been raining here (love rain) but i love that feeling of having the first light, you describe it perfectly amanda.

[tiffany]

i have been trying to rise before the family for a while now but i always fail. i co-sleep and my sleep schedule is the same as the kids. my oldest wakes with a bang, roaring his lion roar then taking off charging around the apartment with his arms extended into jet wings. if only i could convince myself to wake up for one cup of pre-sebastian coffee.... maybe tomorrow. wishing you a lovely march.

[jean]

We survived. March. SPRING!! Not quite daffodil picking weather here yet. Let's just pretend there isn't a foot of snow on the horizon. The sun was so lovely this morning. Your photos and words capture the peace and beauty of early day.

[Michelle]

Happy March and good morning! I realized after I left my message on your insanely-commented-upon-post, that I hadn't told you about my life or my day, as you'd requested. Silly me. But your description this morning is quite accurate. I don't like getting up before the sun does, but Jessie seems to, so what's a mom to do? We wait together for "see-see" to wake up (her way of saying sister), and I look at my babe and can't help but smile through the sleepiness. Have a great day.

[christina Gomez]

cherish these moments, and hold them close, and I know you do. I have 7. My time with my little boy is at night when his hair has been washed, and hes lying by us in bed, and I can cuddle with him and smell the smell of freshly washed hair, and baby smell, and even a whiff of boy. It is a wonderful good smell. And I know that although he is almost 3, he is still small enough to have a little baby left in him.
Christina

[Sarah]

AH March--for me it brings a unique combination of smells--mud, mud, mud and the slight sweet scent of maple syrup wafting up the hill from the local sugar house.

Sarah in VT
gearing up for the daily wash of March muddy snowpants

[sadira]

What a beautiful way to start the morning...

[annette]

Yes, this has been my routing (perhaps a little less cheerful on some days -- less singing! and coffee first!) -- for several years covering several early risers. The 2 older ones have since become a-little-later sleepers, giving us first-ups an hour or two of relative calm. Then the chaos begins! Happy March!

[Melissa!]

Ohmigosh! My post today was going to be quite similar! Great minds think alike! :)

[Melissa!]

or as my husband would say, "Great vines, drink a lake!"

[Viveth]

Our twins (7 yrs) always wake up before us, and I love to discover how they spent that little bit of time on their own. Today I found Matthew downstairs with all the play-doh and tools spread out on the table, while Sarah was upstairs in her room, sitting in her chair looking out the window at the morning sunshine. Other days, I find them sitting in the big recliner together reading books side-by-side. It's so fun to see them become independent little people with their own ways of enjoying the morning.

[kelly]

oh, so lovely. Reinforcing my longing to be at home for more than five minutes after the sun peeks up over the treeline. I'm dashing down the drive--late for work again most day!

[Michelle]

What a fun memory to have with your daughter. Maybe it's the difference in gender, since my boys always wake up very loudly. ;-) I can identify with the loud good morning shout from the top of the staircase.

[knittymama]

If it's one thing being a mother has changed for me, it's an appreciation of mornings. While never a super late-sleeper, I was never an early person either. As hard as it can sometimes be to drag myself out of bed so soon (5:30 today!) there is something about that time that is a magical part of the day.

[Amy Lu]

Oh, you *almost* make me want to get up early.

:o)

Happy March 1st to you too!

[lisa]

very nice. makes me want to quit my job to enjoy the mornings with my two year old daughter - as it is I'm usually wondering how I can get breakfast in her and get out the door in a reasonable amount of time. weekends are different... we usually make oatmeal or french toast together. I like the idea of her having her own little kitchen to do her own "cooking". cute. thank you Amanda for the lovely post.

[Lori]

What a wonderful start to your day!

[Elizabeth]

Egg cups!! Yay!

[Christin]

We could use some of that beautiful morning light here in Chicago. I don't "do" mornings very well but I get a similar feeling of still and calm late in the afternoon with tea and a book in our sunroom. Not exactly the same but as close as I will get to appreciating the wee hours...

[Donna]

What a nice way to start your morning 8-) We have that same tea set, I think perhaps we should start using for actual food instead of pretend tea parties.

[Nada Jones]

Logan usually climbs out of bed before I do and starts "cooking" breakfast i his play kitchen. this usually buys me another 15 min of dozing , until he brings over a wooden egg and trys to shove it in my mouth; that's my cue to get up and fix our real breakfast!

[ann]

You guys made it through February!

[bz]

Ay Amanda...i´m so excited...you FIND 495(or more) persons(about your "This blog is two")...and I say "You find" because i`m not sure if we find someone or someone find us....¿¿??...anyway I just want to say that you have "something"...My husband and I were wandering what exactly(while Alberta was sleeping..je)
Nice to meet you and I´ll tell you "minithings" of my life to keep on knowing each other...
minithing one: My husband lived in Baltimore for 8 years...
to be continued(I hope you like the idea)
I love the light on your pictures!

[Jo]

I love your blog and come to it for inspiration at odd moments through the day. I missed your 2 years birthday, belated congratulations. I'm an English home educating mother of two in scotland and I have found a moment of peace post clearing tea away and before friends come to sing. I should be tidying up or reading stories but the babes have made a campervan and tent from tables in the hall so here I am.

[kimberly/Tippy Toes]

I love this post. It looks like a nice breakfast at your house, making me feel a little guilty.

Happy March 1 to you too! My favorite month has begun!

[Di]

I love the early mornings. It's 5.20am over here. I started rising early when my son was a babe and now I love the quietness of it. I find it's a time to think about the day - what I need to do etc. I love the moment when everyone wakes - the sleepy kisses or morning hugs as two teenagers stumble out of bed. Enjoy your time with Adelaide in the early hours...it won't last.

[Grace]

ah. beautiful. i love your description of the morning; the images of beginning your day; the silence of the early morning which springs to life in an instant. very beautiful. so well said.

[WiscJennyAnn]

Slow mornings are the best! Padding around, no rush, sipping coffee, warming some hot cereal. Soaking up the beginnings of a new day. What a lovely thought... Thank you!

[faithsalutes]

When can I move in?

[mary]

you have so many wonderful posts, amanda, but I really love this one. I can relate to what you write about being a morning person. I so cherish how productive I feel when I get up so early, but it's the getting up part that is so hard. I just love the image of you and adelaide making breakfast in the morning in the otherwise quiet house. so, so cute.

happy march 1st to you too!

[Mama Urchin]

I'm sure someday you'll think back to these mornings with a smile.

[tamara]

Happy March 1st to you may it be a wonderful start to a third year of blogging.

[Nancy]

I'm so glad to hear that I am not the only one not sleeping. I do sympathize with you. My little one doesn't like to sleep either. I was up early this morning as well, 5am.

[kristin]

if i leave now, maybe i can make it up to
maine by breakfast tomorrow a.m.???? yummm!
fresh muffins, coffee and sunshine. total delight.
that top photo is amazing. i bet the breakfast
was too. sweet post today.

[Penny in VT]

Lovely, I cherish these mornings myself, my 5 year old daughter isn't a sleeper either, and I've actually come to be glad about it, as it's the only "us" time we have, since the rest of our days are filled with her 9 year old sister as well (also good, but different...)...

The muffins look yummy :) Penny