Rise and Shine

My mornings are hectic.  Any wife and mother would probably say the same thing.   Here is my timeline for an average morning.  My alarm goes off at 5:40 a.m., but I hit the snooze.  Nine minutes later the bells ring again.  At this point I am considering getting up, but I weigh my options. More sleep versus getting up in time to do my hair and not look like an old hag.  Sleep wins again!  One more hit of the snooze.  As I lay there unable to catch a few more winks, guilt begins to set in...I really need to get up.  So, I roll out of bed, where I am suddenly reminded that I'm not twenty-something anymore.  I work out the creaks and cracks as I make my way to the bathroom.  Is that my ankle popping or did someone pad my carpet with bubble wrap?  A quick shower, blow dry and makeup routine finish my look.  Dressed and ready to face down the dragon. 

Who or what is the dragon you ask?  This would be my beautiful, angel faced, five year old daughter.  Although she gets her wit, humor, and big brown eyes from me, I have to say that her morning demeanor (and breath) was genetically given to her by her father.  Waking Tatum up in the morning is a 20 minute ordeal.  You must approach the sleeping dragon cautiously and wake her in gentle steps.  Step one, I start with a gentle shake and I turn up her light dimmer.  Step two, get her clothes and throw them on the bed, preferable on her head, so that she is forced to turn her head or move in order to continue breathing.  Step three, lights on, mommy's getting impatient.  Step four, I literally begin to take her p.j.'s off.  This usually makes her mad enough to get up and dresses herself, but not mad enough to hate me forever.  When you see Tatum sulk off to the living room with her socks in her hands, you know that your wake up routine was a success.  Warning!  Do not deviate from the morning routine.  The results could be disastrous. 

Next, I go in to wake up Tess Anne who is much more amiable in the morning.  She gets up and instantly wants to snuggle and giggle.  Which I know there isn't time for, but I do it anyway.  Tess Anne immediately needs a fresh diaper.  After a quick change, she is off and running chasing down Rocky and Bogey for their morning snuggles.  I pick out two outfits to put in the diaper bag, because as any mother knows, one outfit is never enough.  A wrestling match usually ensues soon after this.  It is hard to get those little piggies into socks in the morning.  Round two comes later, when I have to wrestle Tatum into her socks.  My children and socks are like oil and water, they don't mix.

When I finally make it to the living room and kitchen I am sweating and wondering why I bothered to shower that morning.  My husband makes his way to the kitchen now.  He has helped in some of the morning details, but his main job is to remove the children from the house and deposit them at our babysitter's house.  That is when I can finally brew my coffee!  Ahhhhh! Time to start the day.