Favorite Part of The Day

This is my favorite part of the day.
I must say these words to myself
at least 5 times in a single 24 hour period.

I say them when:
Tyson wakes up in the morning, always with this little tuft
of straw-colored hair
waving at me
from the left side of his sweet head.
And he says
"Good Morning Mommy. Did you sleep good?"
(yes, he really says that)
And I smile and pull him close.
And I think
"This is my favorite part of the day"

I say this when:
I hear Riley cooing from down the hall-
her precious little baby cries that sing "I am a happy child".
And I go to her-
only to be met with something even more angelic.
Bright sapphire eyes and that gorgeous grin
that says "I am happy to be your child"
And I think
"This is my favorite part of the day"

I say this as:
My husband walks in from work
most of the time smiling
other times not
But no matter- I know he is happy to be there
and he hugs his children...
then his unbelievably lucky wife.
And I feel the way I did 8 years ago-
safe and secure,
and love like no other
And I think
"This is my favorite part of the day"

I say these words:
As I sit down to a dinner-
prepared by someone other than myself
which is almost always
and see my family across from me-
Kyle and his far off stare
which I have learned is just the way
he comes down
from the roller coaster ride
that is his career.
Tyson and his rambunctious bouncing
off of walls
and anything else
that has a permanent foundation.
And Riley just being
the most beautiful baby
I think I've ever seen
even when she is regurgitating
green beans
and bananas.
And I think:
"this is my favorite part of the day"

And I write these words now:
As I have just closed the door to child bedroom #2.
Soaking in the silence...
secretly missing the noise.
And I blog about my life
and drink my wine
and smell my husband
fresh from his shower.
And I feel that yes, this is really it:
"this is my favorite part of the day"

But who's to say that won't change
when tomorrow morning
that little tuft of blond hair
is waving at me once again.
Saying "Good Morning Mommy-Did you sleep good?"
and the glorious cycle of my life
just keeps going
and getting better
and better
and better...