Nothing Like the Sun

Copernicus had it all wrong. Obviously, I am the center of the universe.

embroidered sun

What else would explain my eight year old daughter climbing into the middle of our huge, king sized bed, and squishing her body so completely next to mine that I am in danger of plummeting off the edge?

Lily and Emmy are drawn to me. No matter where I go, they are soon behind. There must be invisible threads pulling them toward me. They can be totally absorbed in something, but as soon as I go into the bathroom for a moment of privacy they become disoriented. MOMMMM! Where are you?

They always find me.

Making sure everyone is happy, I get in the shower. As soon as I have a nice, bubbly lather in my hair, I hear screaming. MOMMMMM! Lily isn’t being nice to me!

I’m banishing them to the far corners of the globe when I ask them to play in their bedrooms, begging them to give me some space. But Mom, why do we have to play UP THERE? They don’t even realize that once they get older, their bedrooms will become their havens. They will need to go slam the door and escape from Mom for hours. Mom, who will be old and needy and who just doesn’t understand.

Those days haven’t come yet, however. When I’m in the kitchen making dinner, they soon appear, getting underfoot as I stir the stew. When I’m in the basement doing laundry, they are at the top of the stairs, demanding my attention. When I dash outside to put a trash bag in the garbage can, their little noses press against the screen door, wondering why I ventured outside WITHOUT THEM.

Around the same time every day, however, their orbit is suddenly shifted. The garage door goes up. The side door opens, and suddenly, the strings attached to me snap.

“DADDY!” they cry, running to jump on him.

Then as soon as he disappears for a couple of minutes, they are abruptly back in my orbit.

Their little arms automatically go around my neck. Their legs curl around my waist. Their sweet chubby cheeks fit next to mine. Their love warms me like rays from the sun.

Perhaps I am not the center of the universe after all.

 

My two little suns
My two little suns

I’m linking this post up to the Yeah Write challenge, where we are reminded to read books, read more books, and to take a long break from reading blogs by people who don’t read books.

This post was inspired by the book I’m currently reading: A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness. The main character is a scholar of the history of science. Click the button above to read more blog posts by people who do read books, starting on Tuesday. Then go back on Thursday to vote for your favorite five.
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43 Replies to “Nothing Like the Sun”

    1. Ha! One of them does happen to be up right now! She is my early riser. The youngest is still sleeping, and I hope she sleeps for another hour or so! Otherwise we will have a cranky 5 year old on our hands.

      I love how you still harass your mom! That's awesome. 😀
      My recent post Nothing Like the Sun

  1. I hear ya, sister. My two girls are about to turn 2 and 4 and they are often attached to me like glue. Funny, my post this week also addresses the bathroom magnet…

  2. Awwwww…Don't hate me for saying this, but I miss those days. It's wonderful to feel so wanted, even if they do act like little stalkers much of the time when they're young. For the record, my 11-year-old still busts into the bathroom on a regular basis.
    My recent post Hockey Skates and a Not-So-Lucky Cat

  3. Aww, what a cute picture! I sometimes wish I were that close with my kids when they were that young. I was home when they were in school and working in the evenings. Now I have a dog that is constantly by my side… he even waits at the bathroom door for me!
    My recent post What Is Today?

  4. I completely identify. And every time I just settle in to get something done and cringe when I hear "Mooooooom" from the other room, I try so hard to remember that very soon, some other female will be the center of his universe. Boohoo.
    My recent post RTT: Golden Globes 2013 Edition

  5. Oh Ginny, live it up! I had one just like that and now he's thirteen and mortified by the sight of me. He calls me by my first name in front of his friends, lest they know he has a mother. Etc. He still loves me, but it's not in the way you're writing about. Just trust me: you'll have plenty of alone-time very soon.
    My recent post I Didn’t Know

  6. I know someday when we are in the middle of the teenage years and my kid wants nothing to do with me, I'll miss days like you just described. But now, sometimes, it would be so nice to finish a chore in one shot! I totally get you on this one!
    My recent post Talking About Bacon.

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