One Morning

Our family had a rare, chaos-free morning at the breakfast table today. This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but with three boys at home, I count it as a miracle. Most of the time, at least two of them are squabbling about something.

There was one touch and go moment when my youngest spoke to my middle child: "Could you please chew with your mouth closed?" The fact that he said "please" was the first miracle. He's not a morning person, so usually a request like that would come out in the form of a screech, such as, "Geez! Close your mouth!" Still, even with the pleasant tone of voice and use of the word "please," I held my breath waiting for the battle to begin with my middle child's response.

His response: "Oh, I'm sorry." And he didn't even say it sarcastically! I looked at my husband and whispered that either they had been turned into Stepford children, or aliens had taken over their bodies. He thought it was more likely some sort of undiscovered parasite that created a sense of well-being and calm. Parasites, aliens, sign of the apocalypse, whatever. For now, I'll just be thankful for a rare, peaceful morning and count myself blessed.