Monday Morning

Monday morning I have to be up by 7 am. If I want to take a shower before the school bus comes, then I have to be up at 6:30. But, that will usually wait till later. On a typical day, I wake up to some sort of noise. Either the kids are making train noises with the Geo trax, (loud noises), making car sounds, someone is throwing something, or they are fighting over a toy. That is noise I have learned to live with. Not life threatening. But, then the baby will chime in with her cry, "Ahhhhh. Wahhh." wanting to be let out of her crib. That one is more pressing, since I also want to nurse her. So usually it's her that gets me out of bed. So I get her, and change her diaper. If she lets me, I put her down in the co-sleeper/playpen in my room. But if this evokes cries that will annoy the still sleeping husband, then I will take her with me to see the boys. So I have her under one arm, grab two school uniforms under the other arm, and go to the oldest boys room. He's still in bed, looking peaceful and angelic, wrapped like a burrito in his blanket. So I open his shade, and very nicely pull the covers off of him. "It's time to get up." I say. "Mmmmm" he says, and grabs the covers back around him. "Now" I say, and pull the covers off completely, onto the floor. "It's time to get dressed. You have to get up." He gets up and runs to the bathroom. I leave the school clothes on his bed, and go to the next room.



Here, the younger two boys are playing. They are building cities out of Geo trax, wooden blocks, and cars. The second boy is told to get ready for school. He takes offense that I am interrupting his creation. I tell him I am leaving the clothes on his bed, get dressed. I leave to go check on boy number one.



He is back in bed. Under the covers.



"Get up now. You have five seconds or I'm getting Daddy. One, two, three....." He jumps up. Starts scampering around the room. "Take off your pajamas. " By now, it is past seven. He gets dressed, and I help him with his buttons. On goes his sweater. I send him downstairs to put on his shoes. Back to boy number two.



I find him in his room in his underwear, playing with the blocks. I tell him to finish getting dressed now. Now time to take care of boy number three. I am still carrying the baby around with me. I tell number three it's time to get dressed. He has no interest. I decide to wait till later. Time to go downstairs.



I start making eggs and toast. The kids are now running around the living room, playing. Meanwhile, Dad comes down dressed and ready and says goodbye. "I want a hug" they all say. They line up at the top of the basement stairs to hug him. I hug him too. Then he is gone. I am alone with the kids again.



The food is ready, and I call them all to the table. Tuck napkins into their shirts so they don't get their school clothes dirty at breakfast (this I learned the hard way). With a few reminders to stay in your seat with your feet in front of you, they start eating. I take a minute to pack two snacks each into their backpacks. I turn on the Keurig and use it to get hot water for the baby cereal. I plop her into the high chair, and start feeding her, armed with two extra spoons for her to hold. I ask boy number to to call her so she will look at him and be distracted while she eats. The older boys eat finish their food and start playing again. I try to convince number three to go to the bathroom. I remind him he can have stickers if he pees in the potty. He doesn't want to go. I am willing to let him wait till later, and hoping he does not have an accident in the meantime.



Ten minutes before it's time to go to the bus, I call one and two over to the bathroom to wash their hands and faces, and remind them to dry off of the towel. Then it's over to the other side of the baby gate that blocks the stairs and the front door to put on shoes, coats and backpacks. Meanwhile, number three starts climbing on the outer side of the stairs. The baby is singing from her high chair. After several reminders to get your shoes on now, number one is ready to go out to the bus. He zips up his jacket, then I tell him to stand on the third step I want my hug. I hug him and tell him to be a good boy today. He gives me a kiss and I send him out to wait for the bus. I zip up number two, and help him with his shoes. He climbs on the stair for our hug, and jumps on me. I kiss him and send him outside too.



Number three wants to watch for the bus, so I send him over to the window. I rescue baby from the high chair and we watch the boys at the end of the driveway. They go over to the mailbox and one comes running up the path with the newspaper. I open the door and let in a bunch of cold air, and take the paper. I tell him to have a good day. Baby and I watch, then the bus finally comes. The boys wait for it to stop, then they cross over and get on. Baby and I wave bye bye to the bus. Ok, breathe, breathe, breathe, now we are down to two kids!



Now it's time to chase number three back to the bathroom. I remind him he can have stickers. He takes the bait, and he goes into the bathroom, "Ok, get out." he says. Yes sir, I will. "I did it!" He proclaims. Success!



Baby and I run upstairs to find clothes for number three. Once upstairs, I see the laundry on the floor and decide to start one load. Plop baby into the co sleeper/playpen and tell her it's just for a minute. Then proceed to collect all the laundry from the basket, the kids bedrooms, and the kids bathroom. Put them in, then go back to open all the shades, and make my bed. Empty the clean clothes our of the dryer onto my bed to fold. Remember that I have a half naked boy downstairs. Right, get him some clothes. Try to leave baby in the playpen, but she sees me and protests. Take her in one arm, and bring her with me to get number three dressed. Find number three in the living room, playing cars. Manage to put his pants on without him stopping his play. Get him to put the cars down long enough to put on his shirt. Plop baby down in the living room to play. Back to the kitchen - time to clear the table, and now have a sink full of breakfast dishes and Dad's snack dishes from last night, after I had already cleaned. Decide to empty the dishwasher. As I am taking things out, hear plop plop plop of little hands crawling in. Hmm. Do I cage her in the exersaucer and finish this? No, close the dishwasher. Can do it later. Pick up baby and hug her.