the sound of a birthday

I wake up to my babe in the other room. He’s calling, “ma ma mom, ma ma mom,” patiently waiting for me to get out of my warm bed and go get him. It’s shortly after 6:00am and I am not ready to start the day yet. I bring him into my bed to snuggle. He has a different idea. I stay under the covers and he crawls around the bed laughing and pointing to the door like he wants to get up and get moving.

My bedroom door bursts open. It’s Adelle, in search of her dad. “Dad! It’s time to make birthday breakfast for mom!” flies out of her mouth. No response. Her dad isn’t home. She walks away, unaffected by the reality and continues to the boys who are just outside the door, “Okay, guys. We have to do this. Dad isn’t here!”

I hear Emmett, “I want to make mom pantakes.” “No waffles,” Adelle casts her vote only for Braxton to knowingly respond, “Adelle, No! There is too much sugar in waffles!” He continues, “we are going to make mom toast and poached eggs. I will go see if there is any eggs in the chicken coop.”

Adelle is thinking. I can’t see her from my bed but I imagine her wheels turning. “Braxton,” she says, “this would be so much easier if you could drive a car! Then you could go to the store and buy strawberries!”

I hear the slider door open. I imagine how freezing it is outside and I wonder what all Braxton is wearing as he ventures out in search of an egg for my breakfast.

I strain to hear what is going on. Gage has joined them now. He isn’t making a peep. Good? Bad?…. I imagine him on the counter helping with the toast.

I hear the oldest, delegating. “Okay, I am doing the toast so you guys need to start working on the crown. I will get the paper and the scissors. Just tell me if you need help, okay.”

The little stalky one is getting hungry. I hear his personality in his tone when he innocently suggests, “Well, I know. How about we just eat mom’s toast!” Oh Emmett. You melt me every time. His older brother and sister don’t go for that at all. “Emmett! It’s for mom’s birthday!!” Silly.

I hear Jeff unlock the front door and walk in. He is warmly welcomed. “Dad, we are making toast and we got one egg and…you have to cook the egg.” He takes over the stove.

My stomach is rumbling from my bed. I smell bacon grease and my mouth waters. It’s close to go time.

I hear Emmett again, “I have an idea that we should hide so when mom comes out she won’t know where we are.”

I have to piddle. I walk into the hall to go to the bathroom and Adelle runs down the hall towards me with her arm extended. “Not yet mom. Back in bed so we can bring you breakfast.” I tell her I need to use the bathroom and she agrees that that is important before I eat.

I get back in bed. Jeff comes in to ask if I really want my food and all the kids eating in bed. Not necessarily. We decide I should come out to the table.

“Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear mom. Happy Birthday to you.” My favorite choir bellows.

Braxton explains what’s on my plate. “Okay, mom. Two pieces of toast. One with butter, Adelle did. One with coconut oil. I did. And Emmett helped,” he’s explaining as Adelle’s grabbing the homemade crown and trying to put it on my head. “And we all made you this crown and dad made the egg.”

Breakfast is ice cold but delicious and perfect.

I really like getting older.