Our morning ritual

We start each day with a battle, a quiet one, but it's still war. Noah tries to decide what time we get up. Sometimes he chooses 7:00, sometimes 6:30. This morning he chose 5:30. Then mommy counters. I choose 8:00. Maybe when it is more light outside 7 won't seem so bad, but right now it is terrible. I put him back in bed and literally pray he goes back to sleep. I talk to God about it. This morning it worked, other mornings God listens to Noah more (maybe it's the name, I don't know) When we do get up, we change diapers, play for awhile, and then Noah get's cranky. That's how I know it's time for the morning ritual.

It starts by handing him a banana. That settles him down because he knows what comes next. We sit in the floor of their room and eat a banana. Ok, I chew, they eat. It's really a great diet tool, I feel like I've eaten the banana, without all of the silly calories.

When we started this, the boys would sit nicely in front of me while they alternated bites. Then Avery learned to sign 'more'. Now he tells me more after every bite. Noah copies him, but I don't think he knows what it means yet. Last night after bottle Avery told me he wanted 'eat' 'more'. I laughed and told him "No, all done". He seemed happy that at least he asked. On the day pictured, Avery decided he wasn't content to sit in front of me anymore and crawled in my lap. Now he eats a few bites and then is on the move. Noah doesn't mind, it means more bites for him. Avery crawls around, comes back for a bite, and then leaves again. This morning, he stood against my shoulder and ate. He cracks me up.

Eventually I have to tell them all done, which doesn't usually go over well. They finally know that the peel isn't to eat and I'm not holding out on them. My little monkeys!