The rhythms of motherhood have an ebb and flow that often crossover each other and influence the other. What we learn in one season will often help us with a different problem entirely years later. I’ve noticed that with this relatively new season of my 2yr old stirring before everyone else in order to wake me up and order me around a bit ( in a sweet way of course) has gone so much smoother because of other seasons of family sleep where I’ve had to adapt and change.

As our children grow and change their sleep pattern does as well and some sleep seasons are filled with everyone getting a later snooze while other seasons seem to see their shadow and last forever testing our patience with 5a.m wake up requirements.

Our current morning sleep rhythm involves my 2yr old gently waking me up with the chubby question of ‘you wake up mommy?” and us spending the next 2 hrs doing chores together and playing one on one uninterrupted until a couple of hours later when everyone else starts waking up. This has been such a great time for us! And while I was reflecting on that this morning, while we practiced folding a napkin, I understood how grateful we should both be for this time. 

It is pretty perfect that most days my otherwise bright and bushy tails are actually getting an extra hour of sleep while baby Z and I get some much needed learning time in. Before I had this realization, I just saw it as our new routine and embraced getting to be one on one with him while he and I directed each one another to the others’ fancy. But upon reflecting, I realized naturally we were doing age appropriate learning such as matching blocks and self care skills such as pouring milk all the while just hanging out. It was without all the hustle and bustle of a full house that I was able to notice how lovely it was that we had this time together and how multi-purposed it actually was. In a house of multiple children it’s always important to be mindful of one on one time with each child. It is incredibly valuable in maintaining a good relationship with them especially as they get older and it goes miles to help evaluate where they are at in their particular season of life. For baby Z he is embracing the world around him in a take in by the reins kind of way and that takes time. Time to help pour, time to help cut bananas safely, time to enter in gently to the rhythm of the house and all its daily needs.

 So I am so grateful for this season of early rising of the little one. He and this season have taught me. 

They have taught me how to slow down and just play again. 

They have taught me how beautiful the simple act of laundry can be when it’s shared with another. 

And they have taught me each child has their own language they only speak when only their mother is around….I happen to be fluent in them all.