Good Mo(u)rning!

Bedtimes and wake-up times around the stable have been anything but predictable. We're adjusting to a new home. We're adjusting to a new city. We've had much less routine and structure this past week. And perhaps the main culprit? Eastern Time. The typical 7:30pm little Steed bedtime feels like 6:30pm to them...and, as Maria so sweetly reminded me..."If the sun's not asleep, then why do I need to sleep?"

Well, my darling, the Ohio sun works second shift around these parts and doesn't go to sleep until well after 9:00. And we all feel the effects of a sleep-deprived 3-year-old.

Anyway, bedtimes for certain littles have been late, thus throwing off wake-up times on most days. On one of our earlier mornings, I was reading to Thomas on the couch (you see, Thomas has always been a good sleeper and actually did go to bed at 7:30 Eastern Time. He was fairly refreshed by 5:30am and excited about a new batch of books we had borrowed during a trip to the library). This particular book is called Grasshopper on the Road and is divided into a handful of chapters that each tell a story about Grasshopper's adventures on said road. Grasshopper's first encounter involves a large group of morning-loving beetles. These beetles are all holding signs depicting their love for morning including slogans like:

"Three Cheers for Morning!"

"Make Mine Morning!"

"Morning is Tops!"

You get the picture. Just as we had begun this thrilling tale, Mr. Steed made an appearance in the living room. This was a pre-coffee appearance, mind you. He took a seat on the couch and was listening rather intently to the narrative before beginning some sleepy mental prayer. And one particular line caught his attention. "They danced and sang M-O-R-N-I-N-G spells morning!"

Without missing a beat, Mr. Steed comments, "They forgot the 'u'."

And that, my friends, sums up Mr. Steed's general feelings toward most mornings, specifically pre-coffee mornings.