One of the little princesses has emerged as a sleep-until-noon princess, while the other is a pre-dawn-perky princess. I've gotten to see - albeit reluctantly - some very nice sunrises this fall.
And, of course, there are wonderful moments to compensate for the early reveille:
(the) Pitter pat patty patty pat pat pitty pat pat patty PAT! (of little feet)
"MAWMM!!!!" (high volume stage whisper)
"Mmf, eh?"
"You HAFF tah come wight NOW!"
Patty patty pat pat patty pat / flumpf flumph flumpf (that's me, not exactly pittypatting at 5:10 a.m.)
I am not fast enough. Never am. "Come and SEE!" she urges from the landing.
Down the stairs and patty-pat through the kitchen to the porch door we go. I blurrily note that the furnace has kicked off again.
"See! See da MOON!" she is literally hopping up and down with excitement, barefoot in the 65-degree house. Her little round toddler belly, now in its last months as she passes the 3-year mark, is pooching out her favorite pink sleepers with the donuts-and-sprinkles printed all over them.
Her hair looks like a dandelion in full blow, and her eyes are luminous as she splays both chubby starfish hands on the window and exhales, creating a little vapor-spot of delight.
I sit down next to her on the cold cold floor and she snuggles into my lap with great satisfaction. She is a sturdy warm pile of wiggles as her fluff-hair tickles my cheek. We watch the early-morning crescent moon, flanked by Venus and Jupiter, sailing high and clean in the pale cerulean sky.
"Iss sooo byooo-tiful," she whispers, eyes on her perfect moon.
"Iss so beautiful," I whisper, eyes on my perfect daughter.
