Noise

The morning starts loudly in our house. The 2 year old calling for me from his bed, the older 2 kids slamming opening their doors racing to the potty.  I remember the quiet of 3:00 a.m. when I got up to use the bathroom. I take a deep breath, "here we go!" encouraging myself that this onset of noise is okay, natural, even good. This noise is life in these walls.
 

Breakfast begins and I find myself taking orders for 6 different things, listening to 3 different songs and getting annoyed by the games and silly stories they are telling because I'm tired, because I like quiet in the morning, because I dont have complete control over everything.

But, this is good, this is life being lived out joyously in 3 little people and me having everything just how I want it is not the goal. So I turn down the heat on the eggs, ignore my hot cup of coffee and turn away from the task of breakfast to face them and watch. To force myself to enter into their noise, because in that I can live life with them.

If I'm playing with them will I find the noise less stressful? Yes, at least most of the time! I'm pleasantly smiling as I turn back to finish cooking eggs and reheat my coffee. I answer knock knock jokes, and make up silly songs. When they throw the next punch, "Can I have the blue cup, blue straw and blue lid?!" (That question grates on me every time because I know what follows is fighting; because everyone wants that cup! Why? I have NO idea!) Deep breath! Enter in!
 

I fight my desire to not give it to anyone, to throw it away to avoid fighting but in that deep breath, I choose to enter in. We talk about sharing and taking turns and who had it last and in minutes there is no fighting, no tears, no angry mama. There is noise, but noise of laughter and jokes and songs.

So breakfast continues, so the day continues and as I continually make the choice to enter the noise I find myself thankful for moments to teach my kids what love looks like, to show it to them with patient words and gentle discipline. I find that those silly songs make great dance party songs and those laughs lead to tickle fights and that in all that noise we are surprised when it's bedtime because in entering into each other and all the fights, tears, laughter and noise we found enjoyed each other!