As you know, I am an early bird - not always by choice, and sometimes much earlier than would be ideal, but this morning I slept in until 6.30am.
I love those mornings when I wake up first.
Before Paris utters her "morning" with her big grin and "sleep well" and starts telling me which of her numerous stuffed toys shared her cot as she hands them out - although it is hard to knock Green Teddy, Blue Teddy, Puppy and Baba off the charts.
I am always EXTRA careful when I fill the jug and get my ingredients together as her bedroom is next to the kitchen, and it doesn't seem to take too much once the sun is up and the birds are squarking.
Before 'Salina starts hacking.
She has had a persistant cough for a few weeks. That is nothing new. The only sort of cough she ever seems to get is of the persistant variety.
Three years ago, she was so sick from it we even went to get a nose swab to see if it was Whooping Cough. According to that test, she wasn't - but if you ever wanted to torture a child, I now know how.
Two years ago, she was pretty sick from it and we now have a wide selection of "try this" courtesy of several doctor visits, pharmacy assistants and our main medical source of information, my mum (trust me, most of the area I come from considers her their main medical source - and awesome pharmacist who may not always remember where the Christmas decorations are, but can pronounce and know what those long words at the side of every one of them mean).
Last year, the same.
This year - well, I was slack this year, because I bypassed the several doctor appointments route and went straight for the medley of elixirs we have used in the past. As she had camp, I did go and get them all labelled by the local pharmacies. As she got worse two nights before camp I did seriously contemplate ruining her primary school ending and keep her home, but she improved and I let her go. The report when she got home was she was fine except for the last night. Since she got back, not so much, so I finally put on my good mother hat and took her to the doctor. Doctor mentioned that Whooping Cough was back (which we had read in the school newsletter) and not to rely on the immunity of "ten years after vaccines". We went and got blood and, what hey? Shut the stable door, she has Whooping Cough.
Worst mother in the world award right there.
So she needs her sleep. In her sleep, she isn't coughing.
I love listening to the fans and the birds and the waves and the silence as I have my first cup of tea.
I occasionally have a second at lunch, but the first of the day must always be tea. My father is a great believer in that strategy. Do you know, he has been married to my mother for over 45 years and always takes one in to her when he gets up? She doesn't get to it when it is hot, which is no doubt her long-marriage strategy.
I do drink coffee - that is reserved for the second cup, the cup when I first get in to work (sometimes they are the same thing)...
Must go - I hear a "mummy, mummy" from Paris' room, so time to go and do a soft toy stocktake.
How do you start your day in an ideal world?