Mornings with the little man

There are certain times of the day with Acer that are my favorite. Morning is one of them. Acer wakes up about 7:15 but then wants to wiggle around on the bed, roll over Mama, and pet the dogs for about 15 minutes before his feet actually hit the floor. He sings snippets of sings, kicks his legs in glee and flips the blanket on and off. This is good for me because I really wake up about 8:30 or 9:00, So a slow wake up when I don't have to be anywhere is good.
We have a leisurely breakfast (brekafist in Acer speak) and then we'll head out on our walk up and down the block. We generally get dressed and head out about 8:30-9:00 in the morning. We go slowly, Acer isn't into speed at this point except in short bursts. Exploration is key, finding sticks a joy, and listening to the sounds of the morning a must. Most sounds are imitated vocally and he attaches names to the ones he knows, like cicadas.
After we come back home Acer loves to sit with me in the rocking chair and listen to his beloved music. Sometimes he almost falls asleep and others he bounces up and down, standing on my legs while my arms circle around him, just in case. I love this time, the cheek to cheek, the songs that might be bellowed into my face on a whim, the little arms around my neck. These are the moments I tuck into my memory book, the visuals of the small man in his tidy whities snuggled with his face in my neck or the look of glee as he bounces are the pages I need to keep stored in my brain. I'll open these pages and read them again and again over the years.