Holy cow young moms are busy so don't even think we're just sitting on the couch all day

(From my original Blogspot)

Ok, this one is for all of the busy mom's out there who, like me, can't believe this is really happening to them....Here is a typical three hour section of my weekday mornings:

6am-Wake up, throw something on (ugly sweats are good....emphasis on the ugly). 6:10 - Wake up Kid 1 & Kid 2 (not to be confused with "Thing One" and "Thing Two" from "The Cat in the Hat"). 6:20 - Wake them up again; ask Kid 1 what he wants for breakfast. 6:25 - Wake up Kid 1 again and tell him he has 5 minutes to be dressed and get down to breakfast (set out his breakfast, bring him clean clothes if he is out, promise myself I will keep up on the laundry better.) 6:30 - Final breakfast call for Kid 1; tell Kid 2 he has ten minutes to put something on his body for his early violin class, pack lunch for Kid 1 while trying to convince him that he doesn't need to augment this lunch with the vending machine at school. 6:35 - Final threat aimed at Kid 2 that he has five minutes to get 'er done. 6:40 - Head out the door with Kid 2 for early violin; on the way remind kid 1 that he MUST brush his teeth before he leaves, I run a comb through his hair if I'm not trusting him to do a good job that day, ask him if his homework got done, set his trumpet by the front door. 6:43 - (Yes, really, exactly 6:43... we rarely vary) pull out of the driveway to drive violin carpool. 6:58 - (two minutes early is good...) Violin carpool arrives at the intermediate school. I now have half an hour to do homework! 7:00 - Open up the laptop and read school assignments. If I feel restless, I might drive around the parking lot looking for that ONE spot that the school's wireless internet is strong enough to check my e-mail. Usually that spot is right where the bus is trying to park which eventually causes a problem. 7:30 - Wave at my Kid 1 who is getting off of the bus; gather violin carpool passengers and head back (listening all the while to the chatter of ten-year-old boys). 7:50 - Arrive home. Wake up Kid 3. Ask him for his breakfast choice. Go make it. Supply him with appropriate laundry. Ask Kid 2 if he wants help making breakfast, but he is already making some funky sandwich that is his latest addiction. Fine by me. 8:00 - Serve breakfast for Kid 3 while finding his athletic shoes and pulling out his take home reading. 8:10 - Monitor what Kid 2 is watching on TV while he is doing his homework (have you ever heard of doing homework at the "last minute"? I invented it and my kids have perfected it). 8:15 - Pull Kid 3 aside and listen to him read (if the book insults his intelligence, he may pout, such as "animal heroes"...who writes this stuff? Someone without any kids of their own!). 8:20 - Kid 4 walks into the kitchen looking for waffles. I tell her "in a minute." 8:30 - Wave at Kid 2 as he bikes off to school (realize he didn't brush his teeth which doesn't bother his conscience half as bad as mine). Sign the take home book slip. Remove stuff from Kid 3's back pack when he is not looking (like Pokemon cards, or crumpled papers from his teacher meant to inform me of something really important like PTA sign-ups). 8:35 - Get those waffles for Kid 4. 8:40 - Load scooter and Kid 3 in van (dog chases us and I open my door; she hops in for the ride). Take Kid 3 to school (use wetwipe oh his face.... how did we leave without at least washing faces?). 8:50 - Arrive home. Hug Kid 4. It's just the two of us now. See if she's gotten dressed and finished her waffles. Turn on something appropriate on TV. 9:00 - Say "hi" to husband (who may be cooking himself breakfast after his jog.... on a really special day I might even cook him breakfast). 9:05 - Start packing husband's lunch. Leftovers? Frozen burritos? Baggy of carrots? Something gets put into a bag. 9:10 - Sit down for one little sec.

Years past I have really struggled with being consistent in keeping schedules. But having kids has not only made me be able to tolerate a schedule, but I find that I actually like it (in a twisted-summer-is-finally-over way).