Crazy Mornings

It’s 8:07 a.m. as I write this; I just got the boys off to school. The day has barely begun, and I’m exhausted.

I’ve probably written about our morning routine before, but if so, it’s been a while, so a little update might be fun.

I’m the first one up in the morning — I turn off my alarm at 5:45, which I know isn’t all that terrible in terms of getting up early, and immediately head for the washer machine, where the load of darks I ran late last night is waiting to be shifted to the dryer and the load of whites needs to be put in the wash. I put the first load in late at night because it’s always a hassle to get everyone to give me the clothes they need washed for the next day and I don’t feel like dealing with it until I have to. I’ve figured out that if I put the first load in right before I go to bed and put the second load in at 5:45 in the morning, I can have everything ready about two minutes before we need to walk out the door. Yes, it’s as chaotic and stressful as it sounds, but so far I’ve been unable to convince myself that it’s less painful to get everything done earlier. That’s the problem with procrastinators! (Or, at least, the problem with me.) If you can get everything done by scrambling at the last minute, where’s the motivation to do it differently! We’re all on a journey; I’ll get there eventually, I’m sure.

So I put the darks in the dryer and the whites in the washer at 5:45 then head to the shower and get myself ready for the day. (Or, alternately, I lay down on the couch and set my alarm for 6:25 so that I get more sleep but miss my chance for an early shower, which doesn’t always work out well for me.) At 6:30 I get three of the boys up — two who need to take showers and one who needs extra time to space out on the couch before having to get ready for school. Then I switch the whites from the washer to the dryer, make coffee, pack the little boys’ lunchboxes and check their folders and sign anything that needs to be signed. 

At 7:00, my husband gets the rest of the boys get up and they head for the couches where they fight over who has what blanket and what spot and eventually there are a bunch of sleeping lumps on the couches. Not for long! “Did everyone eat their breakfast?!” I yell frequently. “Did you pack what you need for basketball practice?!” “Do you need money for hot lunch?!” Last week several of us had strep throat, so this week I’m also yelling at everyone to remember to take their medicine after they eat. They all come trooping in and line up so I can make sure each one is getting the medicine from the correctly labeled bottle and I administer the pink liquid to the little ones. 

After this: school clothes. By this point both loads of laundry are in a pile on the couch and I know you’re going to think I’m crazy given how hectic this time of day is, but it’s important to me to fold each piece of laundry before passing it out. The boys know this, so they stay laying about under blankets until I let them all know their clothes are ready. I just find that it makes a difference if I smooth and neatly fold each piece before the boys put them on — the clothes lose whatever final wrinkles they have and everyone looks just that much more presentable. It also allows me to make sure everyone’s clothes are accounted for and everyone has what they need.

Just as I finish yelling, “The clothes are ready!” I then have to turn my attention to my youngest, who is still baffled by the mechanics of dressing himself. And forget tying his own shoes! I know “tying one’s shoes” is one of those things they’re supposed to do by the end of Kindergarten, but I don’t think even one of my other boys had it figured out by the end of Kindergarten. I used to stress about it, but they’ve all turned out to be amazing and smart and capable, so I’m confident my youngest will as well, and in the meantime, I have to tie his shoes. 

When the youngest is dressed and shoed, I then have to make sure the little guys have put their water bottles in their backpacks and, since it’s winter, I have to make sure those dratted snow bags are ready to go! Not only do I need to be sure each of the little boys has snowpants, snow boots, a hat and gloves, but I also need to be sure each item has been dried since yesterday’s outdoor recess. 

Finally, at this point, I’m ready to bring the little boys to school! As I’m yelling at them to put on their coats, get their bags, and go out to the van, I’m also checking in with the big boys for the day’s after-school schedule: who needs to be picked up when. Then I leave with the little boys and by the time I get home from doing that (on days that I don’t have to go right to work), my husband has left with the big boys, whom he drops off at school on his way to work.

There are mornings when things are worse — for example, the mornings where I need to leave for work from school drop-off, which means I have to add into the morning routine dressing and primping for work, making my lunch, prepping my breakfast, putting my work bags out in the van, and making sure I haven’t forgotten anything. There are mornings when things are better — like when I’ve actually found the energy the night before to get a head start. But mostly, this is the morning routine, and a big reason I can’t make it through a day without a nap. I’m looking forward to spring and the end of the snow bags for this year! Happy February to you all!

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 19, 17, 15, 13, 12, 9, and 5. Email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.