SUNDAY MORNING

Last night I had a one year old and his three and a half year old sister in my bed and I didn't get much sleep.

I laid on one side with Christopher in the middle and Noelle on the opposite side of the bed but within minutes she decided she needed to be able to touch me so she slept sideways with her head in the middle of my back - all night long.

That continued until about 4 am when, in a half unconscious state I heard a thud and knew even before the cries started that Christopher had fallen out of bed. Somehow his balled up mass made it's way from being next to me to the other side of the bed - THUMP!

Fortunately his cries did not awaken his sister and I was able to pick him up, lie him on top of me and get him back to sleep. He fell back to sleep - I didn't.

Knowing that sleep would not return until tonight, I got out of bed at 5:15 AM and went into the house to find Fettit sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee from McDonald's and watching a rerun on last night's 10 o'clock news. Fortunately he is always considerate enough to get me one.

Minutes later I returned to my room to check on Christopher who was awakened by the creak of the door. After my attempt to get him back to sleep, I scooped him up in my arms and took him into the house to say good morning to his Papa.

Walking back in the house I heard the shower running. Christopher's early morning greeting to Papa will have to wait.

Papa Fettit gets up early every Sunday. He has three masses today, the first one starting at 7 o'clock. He won't return until 12:30 this afternoon.

Soon it was just me and Christopher - Noelle still slumbering. I tip-toed back into my room to get what I need for the morning - trying not to awaken her. I need her to sleep as long as possible.

I gathered up the high-chair and Christopher and we head out to the patio to enjoy the the cool morning temperatures - the calm before the storm. Today's high is projected to be 110. As summer is relenting in the rest of the country, it hangs on in Arizona. The upside is the mornings as cooler. It is only 86 degrees and not a single cloud in the sky. There will not be many more days of using the pool.

I love these mornings - the stillness and quiet. The only sounds come from a plane flying high above and Christopher's excitement as the dogs run around the yard. The oasis we have created in the city fools me into thinking I am not in the heart of a very large metropolis.