Our Morning

It's amazing how difficult it is to carry a laptop bag, lunch box, coffee mug, keys, a 2 year old out to the car, get the door to the house shut and locked, and keep the dog from knocking over the 2 year old or running into the house...so I've streamlined my routine and I'm loving having a routine...for everyone else, cheers to you for being more go-with-the-flow but this gets us out the door at almost the exact same time (within a 5 minute frame) every day!

I wake up a sleeping child around 7:10, after i've gotten completely ready for work and have taken my stuff out to and started the car to defrost/warm it up for the two of us.

She usually stretches her little body out in the crib while rolling over a few times. If not that, then she curls her little hands under her belly and scrunches down to try to snuggle the last few seconds out of her bed.

I lay her on her changing pad, head to my left and her feet to my right, smile big at her, and then she usually asks some clarifying questions or makes statements. "Daddy at work" "Anna's socks right there." "Anna juice?" She's a morning girl, like her Mommy.

I change her diaper and clothes, sometimes she wants to do it herself now. Except, she still can't quite seem to get her socks on or her shirt over her head. Some days she doesn't like the shoes I've chosen and I use a distraction method to get them on her or I'll compromise and let her wear the ones she wants.

We walk downstairs, and on the way she flips all the light switches for me. I'm holding her of course. "Mommy hold you" This is a morning requirement. NEVER SET THE GIRL DOWN. It leads to crying and overall distress for everyone involved. Holding is non-negotionable.

We get into the car and she points out things in the shops windows as we drive through our small sleepy town, or sings, or runs through all the names of her friends from school.

We get to the daycare and I get her out of her carseat and she immediately asks for "Mommy's breakfast" Nutri-grain bars are her favorite only because one morning she threw such a fit about her cereal that I caved and asked her if she wanted "Mommy's breakfast" and of course she did and ever since then, that's what she asks for...she's generally ok if this breakfast happens to be something else...like a bagel with cream cheese, but whatever it is, I have to refer to it as "Mommy's breakfast"

We walk in and smile and say hello to everyone. I set her at the breakfast table with the others. Recently I started asking her who she wants to sit beside...her answer is always the same..."Lucas"

I hate saying goodbye. It's such a short period of time that I have with her in the morning and I crave more. But, instead of dwelling on the lack of time, I hug her extra tight, kiss her all over, and talk to her constantly throughout our morning routine...sometimes I don't mind if we're at the latter end of our 5 minute flex time...