Quiet (Riot) Time

Over the past couple of weeks I have been getting up early to go for a walk. It gets my blood flowing and with the humidity as high as it is I usually have a nice sweat session as well. I usually leave the house around 5:30 in the morning and return just as the sun is coming up.

Well, this morning I awoke at about 5:20. The house was dark. Everything was still and quiet. I slipped out of bed leaving Dazjah (the midnight space-invader) and John slumbering. I grabbed a pair of socks and walking shorts and headed to the living room to put them on in silence and darkness.

I made it to the kitchen, grabbed my shoes and heard little pitter-patter footsteps on the carpet in the hall. I stopped dead in my tracks. In 2 seconds, around the corner came a little boy with nothing but his white and red Hot Wheels underwear on. "Good morning, Mommy."

"Good morning, Zephan."

"What are you doing, Mommy?"

"I'm getting ready to go on my walk." More pitter-patter in the hall. "Good morning, Divon. Would you two like me to turn on some cartoons while I go on my walk?"

Although looking very forlorn in the face, they said they wanted to watch one show while I went for my walk. I turn on the TV and closed the hall door. I sat down to put on my shoes and here comes DD.

Now, DD is not a morning person. She is usually the last one awake and the biggest handful to get ready and moving.

"Mommy, what are you doing?"

"Good morning, Dazjah. I am getting ready to go on my walk. Do you want to watch one show with brothers?"

"AWWWWWW." (lip sticking out, big blue puppy dog eyes appear) "I wanted to go running with you. Why can't I go running with you?"

"If you can get dressed quick you can come."

In record time she had a shirt and pink sweatpants on and was slipping on shoes. The boys, seeing all of this went to get dressed and decide that if DD can go, so can they.

Out the door we all headed. I know this is not going to be a fast paced walk, but maybe we will get in a science lesson or two. So, off we go. At first the kids are quiet - we can hear the crickets and are noticing how many little branches and leaves our mini-thunderstorm blew down the night before. Then Divon says, "Mommy, all the cars are still asleep. And all the people, too."

We all chuckle at the thought of cars getting up, brushing their teeth, making breakfast, etc. Well, that started it all. The rest of the next 45 minutes was spent noticing wildlife, talking about the sun, the sky and how and why the sky changed colors and WAKING UP EVERY DOG AND NEIGHBOR. The kids would get so loud "talking" that I would tell them to tone it down becuase they were shouting. I love going out early in the morning for the peace and quiet. We did meet our neighborhood watch president. His comment was that there was no way he could get his grandkids out of bed this early. It was still before 6 a.m. when we ran into him. He was astonished - to say the least.

By 6:30 I am sure that most of our neighborhood was up due to a different type of morning alarm, but we had seen a rabbit out munching on a lawn, a HUGE cat sleeping on the state trooper's car hood, and many birds. It was a good morning, but definately not a quiet one.