I set the alarm a little earlier this morning because Adri didn't get a bath last night.  It was no suprise, though, that she woke me up about 10 minutes before the alarm and reminded me that she didn't want to stink at school today so I better bounce out of bed and help her in the shower.

Mornings are crazy, hectic and often rushed, no matter how much extra time I give myself and the kids.  The boys are rock stars in the morning.  They are dressed before they even come to the kitchen for breakfast.  They've spoiled me.  After they eat, they quickly get to the rest of their morning routine and grab a book or play Legos when they're done, waiting quietly for me to give the go ahead to start walking down the driveway for the bus.  Adri is usually the first one up and the last one ready.   She's pokey. She has to chit chat about absolutely everything she's doing and can't talk and get dressed at the same time.  I spend my mornings yelling, I mean saying, "stop talking and get ready for school!"

Maybe its because she's a girl or maybe because she's got a completely different personality than my quiet soft spoken boys.  She loves it when I tell her that she has diarrhea of mouth.  She thinks it's hilarious but has no idea how totally accurate that statement is.  She talks and talks some more and if you're not listening, she'll keep talking.   Heck, she can't even go to the bathroom quietly.  I hear her through the closed door, talking about what's she's going to do at school, who she wants to sit by at lunch, or how she's going to ask God someday why girls sit down to potty and boys stand.  Or she'll sing...and boy does that girl sing!  She's so spirited when she sings.  Spirited and joyful, yes.  In tune, not!  She gets that from me.

I spend most of my time with her just repeating, "okay," and "yes" and "really?"  It's exhausting to listen and process absolutely everything that girl says.  And let's be honest, sometimes you just don't want to have a conversation...especially in the morning!

Since school has started, I have so greatly missed my Adri girl.  I miss the boys too, but adri has been with me almost everyday of the past 5 years (and talking the last 4 1/2)!  I just don't have the same kind of conversation with Abi when the big kids are gone.  Our quality time is spend reading books about farm animals and singing "this little light of mine."  We also spend some time nursing, eating crackers, having nap time and taking long walks up and down the driveway.  She's sweet and simply adorable, but there's just not a lot of variety in our conversation...and it's only one way!  

Adri walks in the door after school and within 5 minutes I'm usually telling her to stop talking long enough to let the boys get a word in.  In fact, I'm quickly wishing for bedtime (confess...you all do it, too).  

But for some reason, this morning, when she popped out of bed and started talking my ear off, I heard a quiet voice whisper to me...Don't wish this away because someday, you'll miss it.  And I had an 'ah ha' Oprah moment.  Little adri, if you want to tell me about how well you slept, what you dreamt about, why you need to wear your twinkle toes today, and how and why you prefer baths to showers...all before my morning coffee, that's okay.  In fact, just keep talking.  Someday you may prefer to have these intense conversations with your friends instead of your mom.  And someday you may come home from school with nothing to say and want to head directly for your room.  And someday I may ache for our little chats about 'nothing important' or yearn to hear your sweet voice sing about cows or the color yellow or about how pharaoh wouldn't let the people go.  So go ahead.  Talk away.  I promise to not wish you to zip up that pie hole...well, at least not as much!