Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Morning Report

Here's a typical morning in our house....

5:45am: A baby wakes up, (one or the other, it doesn't really matter which one and they take turns anyway) and starts fussing half heartedly. I roll over and check the clock and then go back to sleep. Most mornings, the baby does too.

6:30am: Both babies start stirring in their cribs. I roll over and look at the clock and then go back to sleep.

6:45am: By this point both babies are usually ready to get out of bed, which is just fine since it is time to get the older kids up and ready for school. I roll over look at the clock and then tell Brendan that it's time to get up, which he does. I then go back to sleep.

6:48am: Brendan goes and greets the babies, sometimes one of the two will sleep in a little longer (not often), and they go upstairs to wake up the girls and Micah. Finn has a later start time and is not a part of the initial wave of morning traffic. 

6:50am: Everyone comes tromping down the stairs, which are directly above our bed, yet somehow I still manage to go back to sleep.

6:50am-7:20am: Sidhe, Maija, Ruari and Micah all get dressed, eat breakfast, brush their teeth and comb their hair. Once finished they play with the babies in the living room. Brendan feeds the babies their morning gruel, packs cold lunches for Maija and Micah and keeps everyone else on track and on schedule. He starts the car so that it can warm up before we leave.

7:21am: Brendan comes and turns on our bedroom light and gives me my own rise and shine announcement. Sometimes I still try to go back to sleep!

7:25am: Brendan announces to the kids that it is time to get ready (coats, boots, hats, mittens and backpacks + 2 lunch boxes and instruments if it is lesson day) and I quickly brush my teeth. Finn is now eating breakfast.

7:27am: We each take a baby and get them into their jackets and hats. They are still in their footie pajamas from the night before and so no boots necessary. We each load one baby into the nice warm car. Some days Brendan loads both.

7:33am: I kiss Brendan goodbye for the day and pull out of the drive way with 6 kids. 

7:49am: I drop 4 kids off at school. When it is warm out I walk them in, which involves a bulky double stroller and a lot of loading and unloading. When it's cold out I pull up in front of school and tell them all to have a great day from the front seat of the van. I watch to make sure they all get into the building.

8:03am: I arrive home, sometimes just as Finn is leaving. The babies and I wave to him from the driveway. Brendan has already left for work.

8:07am: the babies and I are all in the house and our day is ready to begin. I will now be in full mommy mode until Brendan returns (usually between 4:30-5pm).

So there you have it, our morning. Not really as exciting as you thought it would be. I would just like say how wonderful it is that Brendan has been letting me sleep in, I know how lucky I am . Our morning routine has not alway been this way, and obviously it will change again in the future, but for now I truly treasure those extra 35 minutes of sleep! 

~Here's a funny conversation overheard just this morning on our drive into school~ 

Ruari: I'm going to go to California for college, I'm going to be a scientist astronaut person and I'll go live with my aunt Pat, so she can tell me what to do in an earthquake.

Micah: What DO you do in an earthquake?!?

Maija: (rather matter-of-factly) You go to sleep with a spoon under your pillow for good luck. 

Micah: (liking the silverware approach) No, no, no....You throw a KNIFE at it (the earthquake that is, duh)!!!!!!

Sidhe: What???????? OOOOO-kaaaaaaaaaay.

Ah, kids.

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