Grounded

This morning, I was snuggled up with my frog princess when I thought about how much I love our routine.  Each day when she wakes, she might play with her stuffed animals for a while, talk to them if she's in the mood.  Then, when she's ready, she calls in a sweet, sweet voice: mama.  And, no matter how sleepy I am, I jump out of bed happy!  She greets me with a big smile and starts handing me things. The burp cloth, Clifford.  If she's in the mood, Freddy the Teddy and the Heffalump (or something like that) she got at the hospital for her birthday last year. Finally, she raises her arms ready to start her day. We change the diaper (which lately has meant that we take off jammies since they've been a tad wet from the overflowing diaper of which I've tried 2 brands and no luck.  But, in all honesty, my baby has a lot of peeing to do in the middle of the night).  Then I pick her up and we go get a bottle.  She might talk to me. Will usually whisper when the lights are off which makes me giggle.  We hug as the milk heats up in the microwave then head back to bed where she drinks her milk and holds her burp cloth while I snuggle with her.

I tell her how much I love her. How blessed I am.  Sometimes I tear up a little as I think of how happy mami would be to see her if she were here. When she's done, we might play. The Frog Princess likes to get under my Snoogle and call to me to get under there with her which means more snuggles and as of recently, we've added eskimo kisses to the repertoire.  That is how I start my day. With giggles, sometimes some dancing and always a feeling of humility and grace that I can't explain.

This morning, she decided she wanted a book in bed and the proceeded to try and "sleep" with the book on her lap.  I'm always amazed at how much she's grown.  And it is in the quiet of the mornings, with the promise of a brand new day that my daughter reminds me of how lucky I am, how blessed I have been and what I can look forward to when my day goes haywire and I lose focus.

Do you have a routine that keeps things in perspective? That keep you grounded? What do the mornings/evenings look like in your home?