Birdie Babies

This morning, owing to circumstances mostly beyond my control, I was not up at my prescribed 6:30. (Sidenote: I've actually been enjoying waking up at 6:30 and come to look forward to those early-morning workouts and scripture time! Who would've thought?!) I was lying awake in bed before my alarm at 6:00, actually, but then so was Jaxon, and Savvy followed soon after at 6:20. Phill had to leave at 6:00 for the radio, and so instead of jumping on the treadmill at 6:30 while the babies peacefully slept (original plan), I ended up warm in bed with one snuggly sleepy 15-month-old and a back-to-sleep 3-year-old. And Savanna made it perfectly clear that she didn't just want to continue sleeping--she wanted to continue sleeping in my arms, in bed with me, not moving for the next two hours. Of course I consented!! :) I wasn't about to get out of bed and turn on my very noisy treadmill (I suppose that's the difference between Kmart-deal treadmills and thousand-dollar gym treadmills--noise) and wake up the two darlings sleeping peacefully in my bed.

So I wasn't too disappointed in myself (come on!), and I just hopped on the treadmill after getting the kids breakfast. I put the safety gate up at my bedroom door, put my headphones on, and turned on the treadmill. At first, all three of them stood there, totally enthralled, even laughing at my red sweaty face. Then for about four minutes, they happily occupied themselves with toys and 'toons in the living room. But when they came back to the gate, they began to make it clear that my eleven minutes so far was just torture to them, and that it simply wasn't enough to watch me at the door. (A whole ten feet away. It must have been awful.) So they proceeded, through frantic signing and pained expressions, to coerce me to stop running. Standing there at the gate, their hands on the top, their mouths open in protests that didn't reach my headphones-covered ears, and their eyes pleading, they began to remind me of little hungry birds. (Hungry for me to be right there with them, as opposed to ten feet away on my big, loud treadmill.) And then what song happened to come up next on my iPod?

Lady Madonna
The Beatles

Lady Madonna, children at your feet,
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet.
Who finds the money when you pay the rent?
Did you think that money was heaven-sent?

Friday night arrives without a suitcase,
Sunday morning creep in like a nun.
Monday's child has learned to tie his boot lace--
See how they run.

Lady Madonna, baby at your breast,
Wonder how you manage to feed the rest.

Lady Madonna, lying on the bed,
Listen to the music playing in your head.

Tuesday afternoon is never-ending.
Wednesday morning papers didn't come.
Thursday night your stockings needed mending.
See how they run!

Lady Madonna, children at your feet,
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet.

I know that this song illustrates circumstances much more dire than mine, but it was still hilariously apt and "spoke" to me in that funny moment. I ended my workout after 25 minutes, and made it count, too, with sweat disgustingly pouring down my face. But you would have thought I'd been out of the house for a few hours the way they welcomed me after my shower.

Oh, funny kiddos.