The Lucky One

This morning was a typical get-ready-for-school kind of day. No early appointments, no violin lessons, no reason to rush (more than usual).

The boys were all in various stages of getting themselves together, fed, and out the door. The girls began the morning in happy moods - reading quietly in bed until I called them, getting into the shower without a fuss, finding the 'right' outfits.

Through it all was the continuous strain of Sierra's voice - which we are so used to hearing all.the.time that it didn't register for me until Stan made a comment: "I wonder what she's going to grow up to be."

Here's what we had been hearing but had, each of us to some degree, tuned out:

Sierra walking to the bathroom with her towel on her way to the shower: "Mommy, don't forget that Samara has the book fair today, so she'll need some money."

Sierra standing dripping wet and wrapped in her towel in her bedroom with her sister: "Samara, we are not supposed to read books now, we are supposed to get dressed now."

Sierra standing in front of the television - where I had left the Today Show playing (I forgot to turn it off after my first cup of coffee in the quiet of this morning before getting the girls up) - with no socks or shoes on her feet. (One of the 'rules' is that the kids must be fully dressed to come to breakfast on school mornings): "Fred, (who was running a bit behind this morning) you aren't supposed to watch t.v. before school."

Sierra sitting in the hallway outside her bedroom door putting on her socks and shoes, to her brother who is down the hall in the bathroom brushing his teeth: "Eli, it's going to be cold today, we should wear long sleeves."

Sierra upon coming to the kitchen (fully dressed) where she is expected to pack up her snack and lunch bag: "Fred didn't pack his lunch bag yet and can I have a bagel for breakfast?"

Sierra when she eventually gets packed up and is sitting down at the table with her breakfast: "Oh yeah, Evan has the book fair today, too. Do you have your money, Evan?"

And a few minutes later while she was still at the table and Evan and Samara were discussing the book fair, "Well, Evan, Samara said she wasn't going to bring any extra money because Mommy told her she's not allowed to."

This last one was the one that got my attention and is classic Sierra-style; involving herself in a conversation that is not in the same room as her, that does not involve her, is not about her, and for which she has little to no information.

It was at this time that Stan asked the question, "I wonder what she's going to grow up to be." And my response was, "An air traffic controller?" And then with a smile I continued, "but you get to leave for work now, you're the lucky one."

Really, all of us are the lucky ones to have our every move so lovingly scrutinized by our sweet Sierra.