Stolen Moments

I get up most weekdays at 4AM. This is when I workout. Typically I run outside, ride my bike on the Columbia Circuit or on the Road to Nowhere. When the weather is really bad, I delay it till 5 and head to the gym. I don't get up at that because I'm a freaky exercise addict (I am that but that's not the reason I get up that early!) I get up at that time because I'm a mom and a wife. See, racing and working out are my outlet, they're my hobby, my expression of self. I do my best to have them not interfere with my real job in life, my family. As a result of my workout schedule, work schedule, and family, I don't have a lot of just plain quiet time. I rectify that during my "stolen moments."

Most Saturdays and Sundays when I'm not racing I have a long ride. I purposely set my alarm extra early so that I can get up and quietly have a cup of coffee, watch the news, or catch up on Facebook. It's a treat for me to hear the quietness of the early morning, no one asking for anything, nothing but what I want to demand my time. Some mornings, like this one, I get about 20 minutes. It's my time to clear my head, energize and reflect. As I sit here typing, I know my quiet is almost over. I hear the thud of little feet and the banging of the potty lid. In a minute Andy will realize Mommy is awake and have to come down. While I value my stolen moments alone, the first few minutes when one of the kids is awake and we're alone together is my greatest pleasure. Callie and Andy both are their most loving during this time. Whichever one is up first, will crawl up in my lap and just let me hold and cuddle them. I'll smell their sweet little heads, and for just a few moments, share the a special mother/child time. No time demands, attention demands, pressures for anything else--just a few heartbeats of perfection.