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5 Minutes With Brennan

5 minutes is not very much time... unless you're a 20-month-old toddler, in which case it's a timespan of endless possibilities. This doesn't require embellishments. Everyone who has a toddler knows what they are capable of in a short amount of time. So... I get babblin' Brennan out of his crib and we walk down to the kitchen to get him some breakfast. His feet hit the floor.

Minute One
What Mommy is doing: Getting a bowl, milk and cereal, a cup of water, and placing it all on the kitchen table.

What Brennan is doing: He goes straight for a chair to push up to the counter to reach a water cup and watch me pour cereal. He drinks some water, spills the rest, runs to get the towel from the stove to clean it up, hangs the towel back up. Detour to the drawers to grab himself a cereal spoon. Gets sidetracked by the washing machine and throws his spoon and a stray sippy cup into the machine, twirls the knob, hits every button several times. Runs back to the chair, climbs up, screams CEREAL, tries to grab the bowl and bring it to the table himself. Climbs off the chair, pushes it back to the table, opens the washer to get his spoon, climbs back up, digs in!

Minute Two
Mommy: Filling pot for coffee, getting mug and grounds & other necessary accoutrement for morning brew.

Brennan: Takes a few bites of cereal, starts using his fingers, tries drinking it out of the bowl, notices the clementines in the fruit bowl "want baby orange", grabs one and tries to peel it with his claws, starts using his teeth instead. Spills his water again, dismounts for towel again, smears water around the floor in an effort to soak it up, puts towel back, throws clementine in washer with cup on the way back. Changes his mind, goes back for clementine, throws it in the trash, sees an empty can of olives, shouts "OLIVE!" and tries to take it out of the trash... NO! Trash is yukky, Brennan. Ewww yucky, Mommy... olive! And back for another bite of milk-less waterlogged cereal.

Minute Three
Mommy: Hot water is ready, stirring my coffee, getting my "sip on" and loving every second of it. Thinking about what to pack in Noah's lunch and what I will have to get done today.

Brennan: Done with his cereal, grabs his blanket and runs to the hallway to harass Charlie "Chareeee". Jumps onto Charlie for a bear hug, gets covered in hair thanks to sticky cereal residue, kisses Charlie, rubs his belly. Runs to the living room to watch cartoons. Tries to grab the candle off the mantle on the way there, settles for a picture. Magically opens the frame, removes glass & photo and is trying to put it back in... commercial is over. Loses interest in frame. Watches "Special Agent Oso" with his brothers.

Minute Four
Mommy: Packing Noah's lunch.

Brennan: Steals Tristan's blanket and starts running around the living room while Tristan scream cries. Runs behind the recliner, pulls all the curtains open, moves the chair backwards 6 inches, throws all the pillows and blankets onto the floor. Gives Tristan his blanket back, says he's sorry, smacks him on the head... Tristan scream crying again, smacks him back. Brennan scream crying to me, hugs my legs, visits the washer again for his hidden sippy cup, throws it down the stairs, uses it as a weapon against Tristan. Mommy steps in.

Minute Five
Mommy: Breaking up a fight with babies while big brother sits mouth-agape, staring at the TV. "Super Why" is on Mommy! Time to leave! Ok, everyone... shoes and coats!

Brennan: SHoooooo Shooooooo Shoooooo!!! Grabbing every pair of shoes he has, Tristan has, Noah has, Mommy has, and giving them to us to put on. Revisits Charlie for another dose of puppy kisses and dog hair reapplication. Hits Tristan in the head while I am trying to put his shoes on. Scream crying. Gives Tristan a hug and says "sorry", sits down next to him for his shoes. Runs away from me and gives me an evil grin while I hold his coat up, he changes his mind when he sees my exasperated face "bus bus coat, Mommy", slips his arms in, jumps and dances while I try to zip it up (not helpful) "go bus go bus". Zipped, revisits Charlie again for one last hairy hug.


And that's some of the boring 5 minutes... you should see him once he warms up! ;)

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