School Cancellation Policy
May 16, 2008 | Antique Daddy, School, Sometimes Sweet
We are not a co-sleeping family. It’s just not what works for us. But I will admit there are times when I think it would be so very nice if we were. There are times when I still want to hold my baby close to my heart as I did when he was an infant. I want to look into his sleeping face and listen to him breathe. These sweet and uncomplicated days, they are waning. Too quickly they fly away into the star encrusted galaxy, into forever and beyond.
Lately, Sean will wake up about 5:30 and come get in bed with us. The gentle jingle jingle of Mr. Monkey announces the arrival of our visitor. He tip toes to Antique Daddy’s side of the bed. Without a word, he throws a leg over and then clambers over him before wriggling down under the covers between us and falling back to sleep. Shortly thereafter, I usually get up and enjoy that first cup of coffee and 30 minutes of a peaceful, sound-effects free house.
Wednesday morning, I sat at my desk with my coffee and listened to the rain patter against the kitchen window as I worked on a writing project. When I looked up again, I was astonished to see that it was nearly 8am. The house was still dark. A storm grumbled quietly off in the distance. Sean should be up by this time, eating breakfast and getting dressed. We would be late for school. Again. I made my way to my bedroom to get him up and going.
In a tangle of sheets and legs and arms, they were folded into the other, like an unopened flower. I stood there for several minutes, watching them sleep, their breathing, synchronized and as steady and even as the rain that was falling against the windows. I wondered if their dreams intersected in some unknown and secret place. I thought of how they are linked together for all eternity through me.
I could not make myself disturb them. I did not want to send this moment hurling off into the galaxy.
There will be plenty of school days in his life, but the days when he can nestle into the protective curve of his daddy’s arm and dream little boy dreams are too few now.
I backed out of the room and quietly shut the door.
School was cancelled that day due to snuggling.
RSS feed for comments on this post.
The URI to TrackBack this entry is:
http://antiquemommy.com/2008/05/16/school-cancellation-policy/trackback/
This is the exact reason housework get cancelled in my house. ;-)
Very, very sweet.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:24 amBeautiful. Years from now, none of you will regret that move.
As if you do now…
May 16th, 2008 at 3:39 amAwwwww. Our last non-sick sick day was because my daughters were having so much fun playing together. When I announced that it was time for Sarah to get ready for school, her five year old sister burst into tears and said, “But I’ll miss you SO MUCH.” It made my heart happy.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:39 amI know that feeling so well. I’d love to cancel Playschool some days, but Spud wouldn’t let me. It’s so nice having two warm boys to snuggle up to!
May 16th, 2008 at 5:27 amThat is a perfect reason to cancel school. After all, school will always be there; Sean, with all his snuggliness, will not.
Yeah, catch those days while you can. Hopefully your snuggles will last well into his eighth year as it has with The Boy. I’m telling you, there’s nothing like knowing that your sweet, growing boy still needs to be loved on.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:24 amI LOVE that you did this. A mom after my own heart. :)
May 16th, 2008 at 7:15 amYou made a great choice. Love this post!
May 16th, 2008 at 7:25 amMy mother was telling me about a neighbor family during one of Dallas’ rare winter snows. “Can you believe,” she said, with shock in her voice, “that instead of playing in the snow, she made her kids go to school?!” Sometimes the moment is more important than the plan.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:28 amThat is simply precious!
May 16th, 2008 at 8:19 amNothing better than snuggling with a sleeping angel!
Standing at the foot of the bed with a cup of coffee and watching the two people you love more than anything snuggle comes in a close second.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:25 amWhat a wonderful mommy moment.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:25 amThat is an absolutely perfect reason for school cancellation. Way to go mom. Soak em’ up.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:26 amBeautiful. School will always be there but moments like this are rare. I’m glad you took advantage of it.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:39 amAwesome! What a lovely post. Your line about whether Sean and your husband are linked together through all eternity through you made me think of something I read when I was pregnant. I had picked up a book on raising a multi-racial child (I’m white and my husband is Chinese) and I read in this book that after pregnancy, and for the rest of the mother’s life, some of the father’s DNA remains inside the mother’s body. I often reflect on this when I think about our family–how we are all linked, literally through our DNA. The other thing I often reflect on is how female babies are born with all their eggs–which means that I walked around for 35 years with the egg that would become my Peanut inside me. Like a little light of hope burning bright!
May 16th, 2008 at 9:43 amSimply lovely post AM and a wonderful reason for a school cancellation. This is one of those perfect moments that make all the trials of life worth it.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:10 amMy heart just squeezed…I wonder when my Bubbalu will do this with us :)
May 16th, 2008 at 10:19 amI love those snuggly moments. They are incredibly precious!!
May 16th, 2008 at 10:31 amwhat a beautiful moment, and a beautiful post.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:35 amGood for you. :-)
May 16th, 2008 at 10:39 amI seriously just had tears spring to my eyes. I know EXACTLY of what you speak. Although, I don’t have any school to cancel just yet.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:43 amAn excellent policy.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:50 amGreat post. I would have done the same thing!!
May 16th, 2008 at 10:55 amVery precious
May 16th, 2008 at 11:41 amBeautiful!!
May 16th, 2008 at 11:53 amHey if you homeschool you can do this almost every morning! :-)
May 16th, 2008 at 11:59 amI just love your posts. They seem like they are eloquently ripped from my own household, with my own four year old as the star.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:18 pmYou are definitely my hero more than ever. Thanks for keeping him home.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:31 pmWhat a beautiful gift you have in writing and a husband and son that you love dearly!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:35 pmThat’s awesome - beautifully written! Thanks for sharing. We often (on weekends) get an early-morning visitor except he comes to mommy’s side and there’s typically no further sleeping going on… unless i’m really lucky. :-) Have a great weekend!
Beth (mommy to a busy 4.5 yr old)
May 16th, 2008 at 12:37 pmHOORAY! I love it when a story ends just the way I had been imagining it should!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:01 pmGood for you! That’s what I would’ve done, too. Actually, it’s one of the appeals that homeschooling held for me.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:46 pmI wish my mom would’ve cancelled school for that reason more often. I heart soft sheets and cozy snuggling!
May 16th, 2008 at 2:55 pmMy little guy does the EXACT same thing. He is the same age and comes in at the same time ;) Since #4 has been born we tried (in vain) to convince Samuel to stay put but truthfully when I hear the jingle of his bear (funny that’s the same too!) my heart is glad….
May 16th, 2008 at 3:22 pmGoosebumps… that’s all I have to say. :)
~kjl
May 16th, 2008 at 3:38 pmI love to snuggle with my four sweethearts. It’s the happiest, safest, most contented feeling to hear the breathing and dreaming soundly.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:39 pmMy kids used to have “Mommie Days” during the school year, when one would stay home and we would do special things together. It is so nice to love one child at a time — to have seven or eight hours just being together. They are your age and still talk about those special days. I love seeing the feelings you have toward Antique Daddy and Sean. Your eyes and your heart are fine tuned.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:50 pmAM, you made me cry - again.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:52 pmWise, wise woman, indeed.
May 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pmGlorious glorious FREEDOM!!
May 16th, 2008 at 7:02 pmprecious. thanks for sharing.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:05 pmHmmmm. I love to see my boys snuggled together. It’s the most in love I’ve ever been.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:09 pmCan’t think of a better reason in the world to cancel school. Thanks for sharing this beautiful heart glimpse.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:07 pmAwww! What a great post!
May 17th, 2008 at 6:48 amSo beautiful. I feel the same way. Your school cancellation policy rocks.
May 17th, 2008 at 11:04 amMaybe once (sometimes twice) a year, my daughter (8) will complain of a slightly sore throat, or a slightly upset tummy, and I JUMP at the opportunity to call in sick to work and stay home with her. I know she could go to school, but my heart tells me differently. There isn’t enough snuggle time in this world! In a blink of an eye, they’re grown up and those moments are gone. Take them while you can.
May 17th, 2008 at 3:18 pmThat is such beautiful picture of words.
May 17th, 2008 at 3:51 pmWonderful decision! I would have done the same thing!
May 17th, 2008 at 8:59 pmCrying again. What a bliss-filled picture you paint.
May 18th, 2008 at 9:17 amYou know what’s funny…I’m CONVINCED my toddler can see what I’m thinking. Since she was born, if she was taking a nap and I thought about her (especially during the nursing year), she would wake up within two minutes. When I have a nightmare, she wakes up screaming.
I hope Hubby and baby were having pleasant dreams together. :-)
May 18th, 2008 at 3:04 pmAh… what a beautiful scene. I love watching my hubby snuggle with our daughter. The two people I love most in this world.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pmThat’s one ‘parental’ reflexes…done with wisdom and love. Beautiful story.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:55 pmThis post brought tears to my eyes.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:18 pm