Monday
I wake up about 5 or 10 minutes before 5a.m.
Spin class starts at 5:30 – the only time I can make. I have to be home by 6:30 to get the house going. Kids need to get up for school, Laura needs to get off to work, diapers need to be changed, etc.
Between 6:30 and 8 I am actively, constantly on the move getting each of the six kids ready to get out the door. Granted, Grace doesn’t need much in the way of preparation, but does require attention.
August leaves early, as he does every morning for zero period, a math class that takes place before school starts. I remind him to take his trombone for band. He texts me when he gets to school that he forgot a book, one he needs for later on in the day. I scramble around the house trying to find it and get the kids ready. Fortunately the book isn’t too difficult to find and we are out the door on time.
Next year will be different, but these five kids go to the same school so everything is right there. Ciaran and Xavier go get in their lines, Dela takes Grace (who is in the stroller) and Tevye walks up with me to drop off August’s book.
8:15 I have Grace in the stroller with me to drop Tevye off at preschool when, as the door opens, I realize that I forgot the snack. On the calendar it was Tevye’s day to bring snack and it is sitting on the counter at home. of course we only live a block and half away, but I have Grace.
The crossing guard knows Grace, Her son and August are friends and classmates. I ask and am able to leave Grace with her. I run home, literally, a block and a half, which, if you know me, and the kind of shape I am in (both literally and figuratively) you know this is an accomplishment. Grabbing the snack and gallon of water I return to the school – no, not running the whole way, just half or so.
When I finally get home I put Grace down for nap and finally begin to take my shower.
Tuesday
I wake up about 5 or 10 minutes before 5:00 a.m.
Again this morning I have a spin class that starts at 5:30a.m.
Getting home the normal routine of getting everybody going kicks in to high gear. This particular morning would actually be a lot more difficult if I had not been able to rely on the help of a couple of other parents. August is visiting a high school today and needs to get there and back. Fortunately one of his friends is also schedule to visit this day as well and they are taking him as well as bringing him back.
This particular morning is still rough because of resistance and conflicts. We actually don’t make it out the door on time. Some mornings are a struggle and this was one of them.
After the kids get to school I get home and put Grace down for nap. After that I notice a text from Dela that she forgot her lunch. I plan to take it when I pick up Tevye from preschool. then the call comes in, Dela needs her lunch now because she is going on a field trip. I tell her if she had not spent so much time and energy deliberately being slow to make everybody late we might have remembered the lunchbox as it is sitting on the counter by the door. As it stands I am not about to wake up Grace from her nap to bail Dela out from the consequences of her fit.
Again, after putting Grace down for nap I take my shower.
Then I start on this blog post.
Wednesday
I sleep in. Until 5:30 in the morning.
At least I get a shower before getting the kids up.
August is up at 6:30 because he needs to leave here about 7:20. Tevye usually wakes up at about the same time on his own. I try and wake everybody else up by 7 as we need to leave here at 8. Between getting everybody up, breakfast, helping Laura to get out the door and getting the two youngest ready there isn’t much time for anything else.
It can be difficult because nobody gets up and has breakfast at the same time. Some kids get up and get dressed before eating breakfast while others do it the other way around. Then there is the pace of preparation each kid has. It can be frustrating.
Thursday
I have my spin class again.
And another day of rushing to get out the door on time.
Everybody staggers the time they get up, so it is a struggle working on one breakfast, getting somebody moving out of bed, making sure another person has everything together in their backpack for school.
Friday
I get to sleep in again today until 5:30.
And shower before getting the kids up.
This is the morning Dela had asked to get up early, so I wake her at 6:30, the same time August usually gets up so as to leave in time for his early class. Grace had woken on her own early. Xavier woke up with August. Tevye woke up when I woke up Dela.
With almost everybody up early it was a relatively easy morning. I think I might be needing to get people up “early” more often.