Although I wouldn't say that our current daily schedule "runs smoothly" or anything as dramatic as that, with Nora having started a pre-k program this fall and everyone sleeping well at present, we've fallen into a nice rhythm in the mornings. Usually, while I nurse and change the baby, J gets Nora up and dressed, and they head downstairs. On our more hurried days, when the bed is way too comfortable to get up early and face the world, we get a late start and they hurry off to her school pretty quickly. But on the days we're more put-together - the days I prefer, of naturally - we're able to relax and have coffee for a few minutes, Gabriel happily kicking his feet on the floor and Nora incessantly asking if she can have something to eat.

Last week we were having one of our good days, and I came downstairs with the baby to find J all dressed and ready to go.

He'd been dealing with a few physical complaints here and there and I asked him how he was feeling that morning.

"Great," he told me. "I came down early and meditated for ten minutes."

"You did? Wow. I'm assuming you did your Jesus mantra?"

And he looked at me kind of like I was an idiot, and said, "No. I have a meditation app."