Questions of the Universe

I was awakened this morning by a small child....my own, of course....climbing into bed beside me. After elbowing me a few times in the ribs and kicking me in an attempt to get under the covers, he finally settled, I hoped long enough for me to get one more catnap before having to get up for good. I was not to be so lucky. "Mommy, look at the sunrise." I'm like, "HUH?" He repeats - "Mommy, look at the pretty sunrise." So I peel open my eyeballs, and, wow, sure enough, out the big window is a really, pretty sunrise - all orange and purplish. But then he says "Mommy, where does the dark go in the morning?" Ummmmmm. Let's see, first, where's my coffee? "Mommy, where does it go?" "Where does WHAT go?" "The dark."

The conversation just got worse from there - mainly because by this time, I'm partially coherent and was trying to make this one of those mother-son bonding moments where I explain the mysteries of the universe. Unfortunately, I think I got a little to technical for his not-quite-4 year old mind. Something about light only hitting half a sphere at once, and since the Earth is a sphere.....I think I confused myself. What I MEANT to say, Jonathan, is that the sun woke up. And when the sun gets out of bed, it chases away the dark, and the dark stays away until the sun goes to bed again at nighttime. Sorry, buddy. Hit me up after my first coffee next time, okay?

And while I'm on the subject of "what wakes me up in the morning", I just have this to add. Have you ever opened your eyes in the morning and the first thing you see see is a dog's nose about one inch away from your face? Happens waaayyyy too often around here - what is it? Is she obsessed with morning breath? Am I about to get licked? It's bad enough Bella (the dog) spends half the night somewhere between my pillow and Mark's - I mean, how much bed can a 12 pound dog occupy? Hey, at least she doesn't elbow me and put her knee into my bladder....I guess I'll take that little black nose in my face after all!