Fall in formation little soldier!!!!

As a stay at home Mom it is pretty common for your life to settle into a routine. I find myself doing the exact same task at the exact same moment everyday. Although it may seem like my life is stuck on repeat, it's actually really comforting to have those moments. I know that it makes my children feel really secure to have a routine. I'm not making any effort to establish these daily rituals at all. Our life has slowly settled after the birth of Koen and Griffin starting back up at school this year. Most of these rituals are normal everyday things that take place in every household everyday. Things like, making breakfast, loading the dishwasher, forcing your child to stop what he is doing and put on his shoes, etc.

Well, there is one ritual that takes place in our home every evening at 5:58 pm. It cracks me up when it happens because it is just so ridiculous. Here is what happens...

I'm in the kitchen throwing dinner together.
I look just like this...minus the apron and perfectly coiffed hair.

Griffin is in the living room watch Arthur on PBS.
He is entranced and happy as can be.
It's a win/win situation.

As I cook, I am closely watching the clock.
I am peering out the window and surveying the driveway
for Roger's car pulling up after his long commute home from work.
Roger has but one request and that is
that the television be turned off and that we greet
him with complete love and adoration at the door.

His fantasy looks something like this.

In order to create the perfect greeting for Roger
I have to synchronize his arrival with the turning off of the television.
Griffin and I both like waiting until the very last moment to turn it off.
I get to cook in peace and he gets to watch the end of his show.
So...I am like a little wizard in the kitchen.
Tossing food in the oven, setting the table,
shoving a pacifier in Koen's mouth as he
plays in his exersaucer.

Then, the moment comes when
Roger pulls up in the driveway at 5:58 pm.
I scream to Griffin in the living room
"Dad's home...quick, tun off the TV!!!"

Griffin runs like a bat out of hell
and turns off the TV as fast as he can.
Then he runs like a good little soldier to the window
and peeks at Dad walking up the steps to the front door.
He jumps up an down and shouts
"Hi Dad!"
out the window as Roger
unlocks the front door.

I grab Koen and toss him on my hip.
We all migrate to the front door
with love and excitement to hug Roger.
We pull off Roger's blissful welcoming everyday
the exact same way.
We are like a well oiled machine.

It's the least we can do
for the man who works so hard
to bring home the bacon!