Good Morning Sunshine

It was sudden and vicious, this indignant angry burst. I could feel my hands clench and my blood pressure rise, but why was I so angry?
"They have to learn to be responsible sometime," my husband stated. "Are you going to call and wake them at college?"
"Fine, I won't ever wake them  up again!" I blurted.
It is a conversation we have had before, but I continue to wake my children in the mornings. This time I decided to figure out what exactly was making me angry. Then I realized...
When I go wake my boys in the morning, I walk into their rooms, sit on the bed, brush their hair away from their faces, and talk for a minute or two. It is a precious time for me. Mostly I am not allowed to touch #1 anymore; it embarrasses him. But at 7:30 in the morning, wrapped up in his comforter and smelling of sleep, he will be my sweet child once again, and I love it. Going into #2's room, I am often asked for a hug or a kiss, and I rub his legs or scratch his back. My little imp returns with some joke or comment, and I remember when their lives, and mine, were simpler.
I am not ready to give that up. A person can learn to wake to an alarm in just a few days, so I am not concerned about early college classes. When the time comes, I will give them an alarm clock lesson, but for now I will travel into a sweeter time and place.
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This morning I woke #2 with, "Good morning. It's Wednesday and you DON'T have to go to OM!" We are all very happy for that. He asked if he could have 15 minutes more of sleep to celebrate.
Odyssey of the Mind went well for our groups. #2's team and the elementary team won fourth place, the other middle school team placed third, and the high schoolers came in first! It was fun while it lasted, but we are all ready for the break.