End of an era

Ben taught class this morning and had a meeting at the school in the afternoon, so Jack and I got to spend our last day together doing the sweet routine we've had all year.  On days that Ben teaches and Jack doesn't have preschool, he and Cooper and I have lovely little days at home that go like this:

6:20:  Everyone is awake.  This morning Cooper woke up in my arms, where he had been since 4:00.  It's not the most restful way to sleep, but it is the most wonderful way to wake up. Cooper's cheeks are flushed, and we;re both so warm.  His little head is wet with sweat and his thin hair is curly where it has been smushed against my arm.  He has a spitty gummy smile and some aggressive face pats for me and the the big boys tumble in with wild hair, looking a little dazed, their pajama pants hiked up past their knees, trailing stuffed animals.  Ben is already in the kitchen making coffee, or maybe he is the laundry room starting the day's giant pile.  Either way, he is dressed and cologned and ready to go while the rest of us still have a couple pajama-clad hours on the horizon.

6:30:  H and J adjourn to the living room for some PBS Kids, and I nurse Cooper, who ate constantly overnight but needs a drink nonetheless.

6:40:  Diaper change for Coop

6:45-7:15: Breakfast for all 4 of us.

7:15-7:30:  Big boys go downstairs to play, and I clean up the giant mess left behind after Cooper feeds himself some scrambled egg yolks and cheerios.

7:30-7:35:  Ever glamorous, I straighten my bangs, brush my teeth, scoop my hair into a ponytail, and throw on some running shorts, deciding that my pajama shirt will look just fine under a sweatshirt for drop-off.  Cooper crawls around my bathroom, pulls himself up by hanging onto the toilet and sometimes just for fun tries to eat those little caps on the sides of the toilet (so gross).

7:35-7:50:  Everyone else gets dressed.  Minimal screaming on all sides.

7:50-8:05:  Kids play with Cooper in his room while I mop the kitchen floor and switch the laundry and make one more cup of coffee which I usually forget about and find cold on the counter a few hours later.

8:05-8:15:  Play outside/ go for a walk to gawk at construction on our street/ play on the school playground

8:15:  Walk Harry to school and head home to nurse Cooper and put him down for a nap.  Jack plays downstairs while I do this

8:40:  Jack gets to watch a show while I exercise on the elliptical and Coop sleeps.

9:30:  I get dressed while Jack stands in my bathroom smelling all of my makeup and moisturizers.  He LOVES this part.

10:00:  Cooper wakes up, and the 3 of us go do something.  Today we went to see Harry's class play and have a picnic at school.  At lunch, Jack got a packet of ketchup, which he is carrying in his pocket, removing to smell lovingly, and planning to sleep with tonight.  So weird.

11:30-ish:  Lunch.  It's a big mess typically.

Noon:  Random playtime.  I am counting the seconds until Cooper goes down for nap #2, and so is Jack because it means more TV time for him while I do all the housework I can't do while Coop is awake

12:30-2:30:  Nap #2.  After I nurse Cooper and put him down, I clean up lunch, which usually entails another floor washing, fold and put away all the laundry but Cooper's, and check in on work stuff.  I also have to pry Jack away from the TV and engage him in an activity, like sprinklers or magna tiles.

2:30:  Coop wakes up and eats again.  He and Jack and I go outside or to the park.

3:15:  We pick up Harry and play on the playground until at least 3:45-- if Ben has a late class, I try to stay longer, until the kids are filthy and tired.  Usually, Ben is getting home and meets us at the park, and we handle the mess of diner and bath and bedtime together, and by 8:00, we are free to do nothing on the couch with a beer.

These are lovely days, and I will miss them.  Next year, Jack will have 4K 4 mornings a week, and Cooper's naps will be different, and we'll have a new little routine, but it won't be this one.