The happiness of daily routine

Home with my boys -- Fred and JoeJoe -- while John is working in Memphis this week. Although we miss John, we're enjoying our days together as we repeat the routines of waking, walking, cooking, eating, and snuggling together.

For those of you picking yourself up off the floor in shock because you know I'm a person who never does anything the same way twice, I say "Even old' girls can learn new tricks." When John is home helping with the boys and cooking and serving up interesting conversation, I still enjoy my daily hike up the hill to the Metro, the crowded commute to work, and the computer work in my cubical. It's something I can count on. I'm not bored a bit -- well, not hardly .

This week's been icy cold and windy morning through night. It's the kind of cold that reminds me why I left the mid-west in 1972. I had to put my Santa Fe "Chinese" bells on the balcony floor. The gonging was keeping me awake at night. With this climate change extreme, my first reaction was to stay inside until the boys jumped up and down with crossed legs thrusting me into action. But that's not what's happening. Each morning I rise early, slip the boys slip into their matching light blue cable-knit sweaters, bundle myself up in a white snow-bunny parka, multi-colored stripped mittens, red scarf and mohair hat and then, together, we head off into the dawn as it creeps over the horizon. We are energetic fashion statements as we bound out the door.

The wind whips Fred's and JoeJoe's ears back as we march up the hill to their favorite potty spots. It's amazing how much they like taking the same route every morning. If I try a different route, Fred gives me the evil eye, saying, "Mom, that's not the way we usually go. What's the problem?" I relent and let him lead. Little blond JoeJoe follows, dancing along, oblivious to what is going on as he scarfs up acorns along the way.

When I go off to work after feeding them and eating my own bowl of cereal and blueberries, I turn on the music and wish them a good day. They wink at me from their perches on the sofa, perfectly content to have me out of their hair for a while. When I walk down the hill after work, they greet me at the door with jumps and kisses as I read the note from the mid-day doggie walker. The note reassures me that the boys had a wonderful walk and were wonderfully fun to be with. It makes me giggle. We dress up again, just like in the morning, and off we go marching up the hill. However, now I get my way -- a longer walk that takes us around the around the area. The last walk at 10 pm is short and fast, and then we all jump into bed. I pick up a cross word puzzle, put glasses on the end of my nose, and begin to fill in the spaces as I listen to Native American music softly playing. Before I'm half way through, they're snoring and I'm guaranteed to join them in just a wink of the eye.

This daily routine makes me content and inner contentment is happiness. It's all I've ever really wanted. The boys have always known how important it is. Don't faint, but I'm learning!