Happy day!

Who needs coffee to get the pulse jumping when you can start the day with a fright?

Most days James showers first, while I get Aidan up, dressed and at the breakfast table; when they leave the house for the bus stop, I am still in pajamas and robe. But today I needed to leave the house when they did, so that I could be over at the elementary school at which I tutor by 7:30 am for a thank you celebration. I got up fifteen minutes early and went directly to the shower so I could be out of James' way when he got up.

I kept the bathroom lights as dim as I could and still see, showered, dried off and slipped on my robe. The lights were still dim when I walked into the closet to hang up my pajamas - I did not turn on the light because I knew exactly where the hangers were. Out of the darkness came a voice: "Happy day, Mommy!"

Holy moly. I am not ashamed to say that I screamed. Like a girl. Like a girl in a dark closet at 6:10 am who has just heard a voice she didn't expect. James jumped out of bed while I backed out of the closet and sat down in the chair, trying to calm down. Aidan came out of the closet and said "What's the matter, Mommy?"

Once I could speak again, I explained that hiding in a dark closet and startling me was not a good thing. He said "I didn't mean to scare you" and I know he didn't, but my heart was still racing and my hands shaking.

After that, the rest of the morning was downright uneventful. We all got ready and left the house on time, and the school counselor and tutoring program coordinator had a lovely continental breakfast spread for us volunteers. They said kind words about us, presented us with certificates, took our photo and generally made us feel like the most appreciated people in the world. Very, very nice.