The Way to My Teenager's Heart is Through His Stomach

All summer long I dreaded Sid starting high school for this one reason:

Early morning seminary.

And my dread was not misplaced....sort of. Periodically on late summer evenings, I would look at Pie and say "We are going to hate getting up for seminary." Each time, Pie would respond with something vaguely noncommittal like "Maybe he could come in and wake us up to say a prayer with him before he walks out the door" or "He got up and got himself to middle school every day for three years without us, he doesn't need our help!" And then I would say...."Spoken like a man who never went to early morning seminary." (Pie had home study seminary, which was held once a week in the evening--because that's just the way it is in rural Pennsylvania.) But I went early morning, and I know how hard it is. Attending is a sacrifice for the teen and the parents alike.

So in a show of solidarity and in an effort to be the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down, Pie and I take turns waking up with Sid and making him breakfast before he goes. Since we have been taking turns for years with early morning workouts--mine being every Monday and Friday--Pie makes breakfast those days and I do Tuesday and Thursday. We alternate for Wednesday. So far we have made it 3 full weeks and these are the things I have learned:

1.) Waking up every day at 5:30 am to either work out or make breakfast is hard. Hard but not as hard as I thought it would be. (Truly the greatest test of my willpower is NOT crawling back into bed when the last two kids are sent on their way to school at 8:20. I applaud myself whenever I can make it past lunch before the call of my bed becomes deafening.) As many of you well know, I am not a morning person. I am a night owl. I routinely fall asleep between 11:30 and 12:30 at night. If it weren't for the naps I would be a whiny, crabby mess. But you know what? Since I am forced to be awake before the sun I have really enjoyed those early hours when the house is still asleep. Sid is up in the shower and I come downstairs to my dark, cool and quiet kitchen. The kitchen faces east, and each morning the sun comes up while I cook. It makes me happy.

2.) Even though I don't particularly enjoy cooking, I have discovered I really enjoy making breakfast early in the morning. It is the complete opposite of making dinner. The phone never rings, the doors never slam and I am not trying to multi task.

3.) My making breakfast for Mr. Teen Angst is something he actually appreciates. This afternoon while he was unloading the dishwasher, Sid asked me "So what are you making for breakfast tomorrow?" There was an unmistakable tone of enthusiasm in his voice--an all too infrequent quality at this particular stage of Cool--and then actual disappointment when I told him Friday was Dad's day. (Sorry, Puggy. Sid loves your omelets but would love them even more if you didn't make them every time.) I love that Sid loves my efforts.

4.) I can usually prepare breakfast for 5 kids all at once. If I am making a big pot of oatmeal or some such, I just pour it out into 5 bowls and slap a square of plastic wrap on the four that will be eaten later, popping them in the microwave to freshen them up for the later crew. I do scramble eggs at the time they will be eaten, but seriously, it doesn't even take 2 minutes to scramble an egg.

5.) Even though I have three different breakfast times this year (high school, middle school and elementary/preschool) I really like that. I get one on one time with Sid and then Calvin, and then the last three usually eat together. In between all the send off's--6:15, 7:05, 8:20 and 9:00--and the kitchen cleanup and the lunch making and the early load of laundry--there is me in my blue fuzzy robe sitting on the couch watching HGTV. (DVR'd episodes of Designed to Sell are my current faves)

And speaking of current faves, I thought I'd share with you our most popular breakfast:

The homemade Egg McMuffin (Tommy--who cannot abide them--calls them egg hamburgers and looks upon them with marked derision):

Quick and easy, especially if you use the precooked bacon (and you know I do).

Directions to make one muffin:

Toast an English Muffin

Scramble an egg and put it on a muffin

Put on one slice of cheese, I like Colby/Jack or Muenster

Microwave one slice of bacon for 20 seconds and then break it in half, slap on the top of the muffin and you are done!

The kids eat them up. They also really like CocoWheats (sold at Walmart next to the Cream of Wheat--also another popular breakfast food around our house), Old fashioned oatmeal (I add in some sugar and apple pie spice while it cooks), pancakes with buttermilk syrup, french toast, and of course scrambled eggs/bacon/toast.

So let's add "makes breakfast" to the very short list of Mommy chores that I kick butt in, right under "Halloween costumes" and......okay. I need to come up with another thing. Because I think having 3 things I excel in will make me look much more competent and dedicated in that book the angels are keeping in Heaven.