Sure, it would be delightful to just sleep in on those days I’m off work but that’s not happening when I have a preppie to drop off at school who suddenly wants to stay home instead.

“How come you get to have a day off and I don’t?” she’d ask, not quite comprehending that in a perfect world, my day off would have seen me still snoozing under the covers at 8 in the morning instead of negotiating with a 6-year old smarty-pants.

But I do enjoy getting her ready, though, stressful as it can be sometimes. And she loves it when I do. Most of the time it’s her and Jeff. I’m that working mom who rushes off early in the morning, kissing her goodbye while she’s still asleep.

This particular school drop off was windy as. I remember freezing under my four layers of clothes. Thankfully it wasn’t raining. Twice, I’ve dropped Raven off when it was raining. We were that mother-daughter team making a run for it, laughing at how we were slowly getting soaked because I didn’t bring an umbrella because I never owned one.

On days when Jeff comes with us, he and I go on dates at the Hillside Pantry cafe after school drop off where, aside from our usual coffee, he orders a big breakfast with extra hash brown for me. I’m not a big breakfast eater, if at all. I’ll have the hash brown and some of his egg, spinach, mushroom, and tomato. And maybe some of his toast. Enough to make him wanna order another one as there’s nothing much left for himself.

I love our breakfast dates. Our little vibe checks. With our phones set aside, we get to enjoy an intimate breakfast in the corner and talk about how wonderful life is and how truly blessed we are to have what we have.

Gratitude. That’s a common theme in our conversations when we’re not pretending to listen to each other talk about cameras and candles.

And when our breakfast meeting is adjourned, he goes to do his thing while I go do my thing.

We meet up again for school pick up at 3:15.

*Raven at 6 years old