So I need you to close your eyes and imagine (okay, I guess you will have to open your eyes to read, but I do want you to use your imagination). Picture this: It is seven thirty in the morning. I have been woken, coffee-ed and grunted at and have reluctantly rolled out of bed, always hopeful of finding clothes nearby. Once dressed I make my way, still bleary eyed to the kitchen to make my second and last cup of coffee of the day (For all my ruminations over my coffee habit, I actually only ever drink two cups a day). I wander out of my bedroom and am immediately hit by an onslaught of what can only be cumulatively described as cats yowling.
My son walks past me, determined to get his chores finished so that he can squeeze in a few minutes of guitar practice. He has his phone playing, loudly, in his pocket. He alternately sings along, interspersing it with opinions on the song to anyone (or no-one, it doesn’t seem to matter whether he has an audience or not) near by.
As I progress towards my destination I pass the living room. In the living room, whilst doing chores, C13 has a youtube list playing off the TV. Loud. And she is also singing along. And she sings obstreperously, at the top of her lungs. I cringe at the mix of T’s worship songs grinding together with C’s rapping…
Meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of the living room is A7 and B4, who are also singing, although not very tunefully, and are in truth more shouting than singing. Remember the karaoke machine A7 received for her birthday? Well, one can plug in up to two microphones and sing through those. So she and B do just that. So not only are they singing a different song to both T and C, they are also singing it at the top of their lungs and singing through the microphones.
I begin to twitch. Not entirely sure I can cope mentally with such an aural assailment, I quicken my steps with the aim of reaching the kitchen and escaping from this near torture. Alas, it is not meant to be. You would think I would know this by now. But no. I don’t ever seem to learn. L13 is merrily washing up and listening to her ipod and, yes you guessed it, singing along. This time it is a pop song. I want to take myself and my tics back to bed. I promise myself that tomorrow I will add some ear plugs to my ensemble as I dress.
I make my coffee, take it to my computer, plug in my ear phones and choose my very own youtube playlist of Casting Crowns. A sermon in a song, they refresh me, block out everyone else’s music, and soon I am lost in the beauty of their music and their message. Checking through emails, I occasionally burst into song. That is until I get tapped on the shoulder.
‘Mummy, must you sing? You’re ruining our music and it is earsplittingly bad!’ Really? I mean, really??!
LOVL! Another way I’ll know your house when I drive past it, then! 😉 Sounds utterly glorious. Our dogs like to join in the cacophony, too, yay!
I’m so thankful our dog doesn’t also join in. I think I might very well have some sort of nervous breakdown 😉
I am so glad my crew wakes up on the silent side. I really struggle with noise first thing in the morning. That is one of the reasons I try to beat everyone out of bed. Sounds like a joyful riot at your house.
Blessings, Dawn
Joyful riot? Hmmm, I’m not sure I would put it in such pleasant terms 🙂
I think if I ever stumbled out of bed to find all the children up (mind you I’m up a little earlier than you 🙂 and cleaning the house, I’d have to file it under “M” for miraculous, or “U” for unbelievable. But then, one of the reasons I get up extra early is for a few minutes of silence. I love the thought of your happy singing family though – even if they don’t properly appreciate your contribution to the cacophony.
Lol! Yes, I’m the latest riser. Since I have started to sleep, I don’t seem to be able to stop! I’d love to be able to rise earlier but no matter how hard I try, I don’t seem to be able to 🙁
lol this is too funny. love the comment at the end, and yes I can totally see this! Love the way you handle it, I hope I would do so well. Mine would be along the lines or a warning, pre coffee mommy is not a fun mommy. I will keep this in mind, thanks for sharing!
Absolutely my pleasure!!
Hilarious!!!! My children up before me and cleaning without being told to would be a sign of the Apocalypse! Your mommy-habit training skills are impressive.
Ha ha!! The children are spectacular in the morning. I’m not sure how much I had to do with it. I’m usually partially comatose…..
Oh, the life of a mum! Too funny, Claire. And I needed a laugh this morning. Thanks for providing it!
Always a pleasure to provide some giggles!!
Oh this could be our house. Although there are only 2 children who reside here, both have their own musical tastes and one is always ALWAYS singing loudly.
I really hate noise, yet with five children it is always noisy here. I do wonder if we simply get used to it and don’t notice it anymore?
That is bad first thing in the morning. Almost as bad as several people shouting a song in different keys in a confined space of a car!!!!
He he. Yes, that was particularly painful on the ears, wasn’t it. Of course, I was the only one singing in tune….!
Oh my, I would retreat as well if I were you. With a large mug of tea. Or maybe a pot of tea.
Or coffee? Or even vodka???
Your posts are always so funny! And I’ll have to keep coming back to get my vocabulary lesson for the week — obstreperously! Meanwhile, I am the first to get up most mornings, and it’s nice to be able to marinate in the coffee for a while before I have to deal with anyone!
Oh, always chuffed to be of help in some way!
I laughed the whole way through this!
😀
I can sooo hear this post!!
😀
Awesome! Our house often involves my 8 year old streaming music through the TV so the three big kids can sing along for their “dance party” at the top of their lungs…while the baby chases them and is screeching and squealing, and the dog jumps on and off the couch barking and whining at all of them. Perhaps I need to take a hint from you and buy myself some earphones.
My ear-splitting enemy of late is the soundtrack to the musical my youngest daughter is performing in at church in a few weeks. The first thousand times she listened to it were bad, but now we’ve reached the torture stage. I don’t think she even realizes she’s singing it anymore.
Mornings must be quiet for me and they are until one fella gets out of bed! Gotta love him.