That Precious Moment

My weekday mornings start off something like this: wake up,  refresh, get the kids up (usually by singing the Good Morning song, loudly), get them refreshed and dressed, which usually takes fifteen to twenty minutes if they are cooperating, then we go on the hunt to find socks, shoes and outerwear, which are normally together, but not always. Now this step can take anywhere from five to thirty minutes!
Side note: I am the sock wrangler, not by choice but circumstance. My husband has no shame in putting our kids'shoes on without socks, even when it's freezing outside, just so he won't have to look for their damn socks! Now that's shameful. I had to become the sock wrangler, their poor little toes and feet demanded it!

Anyway, once we're all in the car Mama can relax while Daddy drives himself to work. Once he's at work, I always use the Waze app to get the kids to school on time so they can eat breakfast. I'm usually fighting rush hour traffic to get them there and somehow we always make it.

Once I am back in the car after getting them safely in school, is that precious moment of the day for me. I breathe a long sigh that truly encompasses the sentiment. I feel my shoulders rise and rest, I hear the breath enter and leave my body. It's a breath of relaxation and accomplishment. It's a breath I have noticed every time I'm actually in the moment. And what stands out about this breath is that it's the first one I've taken notice of all morning. It's as if during all the hustle and bustle of getting my family out the door, I've taken one long breath in and it's in this moment I can finally exhale. My kids are safe, my husband is safe. I am blocks away from home, today is going to be whatever kind of day it is going to be, the possibilities are endless. And so far the days really have been varied and fulfilling.
From reading books on my to-do list, to volunteering at my favorite museum to running household errands and attending school meetings, having lunch with old friends or writing for future projects, I really try to appreciate this time. I know like most of my experiences being a stay at home Mama, that this opportunity is a gift. So once it hits three o'clock and I have to pick up the kids, then my husband and repeat it all over again the next day, the goal of attaining that precious moment once again becomes my motivation.