Mama said there'd be mornings like this....

And so, at 4:28 this morning, Jack woke up.  I only know it was 4:28 because Abby told me. I did hear the little guy wake up.  And I did hear Abby stumble to get him.  And soothe him so sweetly. And I think he went into bed to snuggle with mommy and daddy to hopefully go back to having sweet dreams.   It took a little while.

Jack started to settle and snooze, and then I heard one of the dogs, "errr-uhhhh  errr-uhhhh" .  imagine dog-puke noises  And then the dog that was in puking distress high-tailed it back to Derek...and Derek took a flying leap to the door, and was outside in his boxer shorts, in 30 degree early a.m. temps with a puking dog, and/or poopy dog, or whatever. And then he decided to just take both dogs out....ya know, why not.

And I heard Keith say..."thanks man."  You gotta love a guy that goes outside with a puking dog while it is still  freezing and dark.  You gotta love a dog that asks to go out..... hello.

And then Jack woke up again, thanks to the dog activity....... And then................all was quiet again.

And then I totally had to go, um, to the bathroom. But I am in the bunk over the cab, and  I need to climb OVER Keith, and go down the ladder in the dark, and the COLD. And try to be noiseless.  IMPOSSIBLE. And the bathroom is right next to, as in one motor home-wall away from the now sleeping family, and there is no way to be noiseless.  no way.  So I just lay there, praying I will forget I have to GO.

And then I hear Jack again, and Kai, and Abby, and Derek, and it is still dark-thirty......life is beginning extra early in the "family suite".........I stay in bed because, well, life is a little busy in the family suite.

The sun begins to rise, and the next thing I hear is Derek and Abby discussing an early morning walk to the Grand Canyon ~~ I mean, why not? So, after a lonnnnnnnnnng time of getting everyone dressed and layered-up, they head out the door. (except for dogs, they are still tired from getting up early)  As Abby waves bye to us, she gives us the look that says, "Is it noon yet?"  Umm, I think it is 7:08, not sure.

Then Keith and I get up, or I should say, get down from the bunk........ (i have still not gone......ya know, the urge just sort of passed). We are having coffee.....talking.  I am having one of those sleep-deprived totally unreasonable, irrational motor home mornings,  "will  i ever have a home and my own bathroom again?  will i ever have a bed that doesn't have a ladder?  what if i don't have any friends at my new home?  (sniff sob )  will i ever be able to untangle my phone charger? "  (sniff sniff sniff)   Keith is on the other side of the table looking at me.......with this kind of look that says he is trying really hard to understand and follow my train of thought here....

In between sniffs and sobs, while I am talking with my HANDS,  I knock my coffee cup over, which is half full...and it spills across the table and on to Keith. Keith's  wearing his orange-colored-long-sleeve-t-shirt that has a  picture of a cup of steamy coffee on the front of it (Kai calls it Papa's hot chocolate shirt) that says "starter fluid".  The starter fluid shirt is now totally splattered in "starter fluid" ...his jeans as well.         He just stares at me.

And then, I start laughing.

By the way....I still have not "gone".  Not yet anyways.

I cannot stop laughing.  I have gone from bleeehhhhh sniff sniff sniff, to ha ha ha.  I am a crazy person.

I run to the bathroom (I mean....it is not far, like 2 1/2 giant "mother may I steps" and I am there....but still, it is a leap of faith to get there in time).  I fling the bathroom door open, making it in time.  whew.  I cannot see Keith, but I KNOW he is so rolling his eyes right now.

Here's the deal.  While Keith is rolling his eyes and I am sitting there, so relieved, in so many ways, I notice that Kai's bunk bed shade is UP, and since the bathroom door is WIDE OPEN,  and her shade is UP, well, I have an amazing view of the campground and the people walking by ...  and the campground, and the people walking by, have an amazing view of me.  oh yes they do.

And so began the day............