A Lit Lovin' Mom's Dream

"So young men build the future, wisely open-handed in peace, protected in war; so warriors earn their fame and wealth is shaped with a sword."

Beowulf, lines 22-25

I woke to the shrill sound of my alarm Wednesday, firm in my conviction that this was a day I belonged in bed. I scrunched my eyes shut tightly and tried to figure out a way to make that happen. Surely Lewis could wake the kids, feed, scripture and dress them; burden them with homework, instruments, backpacks and lunches. Get visual confirmation of clean and present socks and underwear, make sure the clothes they are wearing are not the ones they were wearing the day before....Sure... he could do all this before he left for work at....wait.....6:30? No go. There was no escaping it.

Sometimes, as a Mom, I feel like the earth would fall from its orbit if I don't get out of bed. Alas, the earth and all its inhabitants were safe for another day. I very reluctantly swung my feet onto my freezing wood floor, and went about my business. I found, to my delight, that everything went in my favor. I was too late getting up to make my husband a lunch, but there was still a forgotten lunch from yesterday in the fridge! SSHHHH! Don't tell him it was recycled!

As the kids ate their nutritious Rice Crispies, on impulse, I picked up my World Lit text from college. My oldest had been discussing Beowulf with me the night before. Yes, he read it when he was 10. He told me how much he had loved it. He was long gone to zero hour, but I opened Beowulf somewhere in the middle, and unbidden, started to read.
My boys didn't react at first, they're used to me doing unexpected things. After a moment or two, their ears pricked up in interest. Before long, their cereal bowls were snap, crackle and popping, abandoned at the table. My boys were crowded around me, eyes wide in wonder. I read about a shining hall, filled with warriors, a fearsome beast that kept terrorizing them; a brave Geat, who was stronger than any other living man: Beowulf.

The baby woke up sometime during our read, and was fretful, jostling around on my lap. Whenever his head blocked my view and I was interrupted, they howled in protest. "Send him to his room!" they cried. We spent about half an hour in a land of treasure, heroic deeds, and,... ahem, lakes boiling with the spilt blood of monsters. It was heaven. When it was time for the bus, they heaved a great sigh of contentment, and went out into the world. Yes indeed, it was a lit lovin' Mom's dream.