This Morning

Ok, seriously, proudest parenting moments ever? It is the little things, right? Like when they say 'please' and 'thank you' unprompted. Or when they show genuine love for that kid in their class who really needs some TLC. Or when they pee in the toilet without leaving pee-puddles all over the bathroom floor. You know, the little things. Well, anyway, proudest parenting moments ever? --This morning was one of them. For all the hair-pulling and tear-shedding and ranting-and-raving that they cause me.... they then go and counter-balance them in moments like this. Man, they drive me crazy (their boundless energy, their frenetic activity, their twinny-tempermental-tantrums-and-incessant-boyish-brawls, their Behavioral Problems (capital 'B' 'P') and strange-personality-traits that provide a never-ending-list-of-things-for-their-Mama-to-worry-about, ETC., ETC. ETC.). Oh, how they drive me crazy. But my gosh, they make up for it in some big, big ways -- big, creative, joyful, benevolent, make-their-Mama-ever-so-proud ways. Things that just come seemingly out of nowhere and make up for oh so many wrong-doings. They say, and do, the most sweetly profoundly awesome things sometimes. So, this morning, they woke up (had slept together in Owen's room last night). We heard them in there getting ready all by themselves. They do this sometimes, out of their own initiative, when they feel like really making us proud. It involves getting dressed, bringing their pajamas to the hamper, making the bed, opening up the window shade, etc., etc., etc. Basically, getting up and going fully completely entirely on their own. After all is done, they come to us, so proud, and we make a big deal about it, and the day is off to a great start. So, this morning, we listened and heard them doing this. A great morning was brewing. But then, a twist. We heard excited conversing (but couldn't make out what they were saying). Then we heard them running downstairs. Then we heard banging around in the kitchen. Minor-nerve-wracking anxiety ensued on our part. What, on earth, were they doing down there? God help us. Next thing we knew, seriously, they were calling us downstairs for coffee. They had MADE COFFEE FOR US. ???!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I said to Braydon, "No matter what this 'coffee' tastes like, we drink it graciously and show, enthusiastically, our excited appreciation. Got it?" Yes, he got it. O.k. "Oh, and no matter what the kitchen looks like, no matter what mess or disaster has been caused down there --even if there are coffee grinds everywhere, even if our beloved coffee bean grinder and/or super duper coffee maker are totally broken-- no matter what, we praise them adoringly for this gesture. Got it?" Yup, got it. We could hear them, eager whispers and excited chit-chat, planning their presentation. O.k., we're heading into the kitchen now. And what do we find?? The photo above. Two PERFECT cups of freshly ground, fresh brewed coffee. I mean, PERFECT. Braydon's even was ready with his milk already poured in (the PERFECT amount). Mine was black, as they know I like it. And there they were. All proud and glorious with what they had done. And the kitchen and the grinder and the coffee maker? In PERFECT condition. PERFECT. Seriously. Yes, they've been "helping" Braydon make coffee for years. But no, they had never done it themselves (not even remotely close), and no, we had absolutely no idea they would know how to do it (let alone PERFECTLY). Our coffee maker is not simple to use. It is a complex sophisticated-coffee-making contraption. Making perfect coffee out of whole beans is not easy to perfect. Especially when two picky coffee drinker parents are the taste testers. But seriously, seriously, seriously, Kyle and Owen did this this morning: They got up and made us coffee. They missed the bus as a result. But seriously, who focuses on details like that when you've got a fresh brewed hot steaming perfect cup-o-joe in your hands that your twin 5-YEAR-OLD boys made you???? Not us. We let the bus go and made pancakes instead and savored the moment. Braydon happily drove them to school and they made it just in the nick of time. And they walked in there feeling like a million bucks.

In other news, Little Miss has a new favorite breakfast that she's become very fond of recently: two eggs, over-easy. Here she was, this morning. She won't eat pancakes but she'd eat fried eggs every morning if we let her. I love this picture of her:

I never want to forget these moments.