Things that make us late for school

::laughing, because I need to::

This morning was the first morning I found my kids really dragging their feet. I drag my feet too but I can also trim my morning routine to almost nothing if I have to in order to get the kids out the door at a decent time. Princess is actually used to waking up fairly early and rolled out of bed at 0650, got Pebbles out of her crib, then brought her to the table and started getting her breakfast. What a gem of a girl! I got up and did what I have to do, looked at the clock and holy cow it's already 0711 and no one's dressed!! Tag was still in his Morning Muteness (every time he wakes up from night or nap he takes at least 30 mins before he starts speaking at all. it's gold, I tell you) and refusing to eat. Whatever, kid. I rushed Princess to her room then left to change a diaper. The next noise to ring through the house -- "mom! I have nothing to wear!" I ran to her room to see what the heck she's talking about to be greeted with the complaint that "nothing has a match." I pulled out two articles of clothing that I told her are a match (ignoring her dubious look) and ran to change Pebbles' clothes.

At this point Tag finally decided to talk and wanted Cheerios. Ok. Take care of that and then Princess came out of her room in her shirt for the day and pajama pants so she can show me something she made at school yesterday. I hollered a bit and then she disappeared presumably to finish dressing. Pebbles was crying about everything that she wanted but didn't want to get for herself, Tag left his full bowl of cereal so he can go get dressed (in blue sweat pants and a button up red flannel) then brought his shoes and socks into the living room. He said he wanted help, but I chose to help Princess who could only find one shoe. His voice went into that sort of falsetto used in cartoons for bugs caught in a spider's nest "but I need help please! please!!" Got Princess taken care of and, oh crap, school snack!

I looked through the kitchen considering our options. Carrots? Nope. Apple? Bruised. Prunes? Bwahahaha! Raw Ramen noodles? There's a thought. Crackers? All gone. Ah! Apple sauce. Put it in a mini Gladlock with a paper towel and a spoon I'm sure I'll never see again.

At this point it's 0740 which is my goal for getting out the door. Tag had his shoes on (backward, but on), Pebbles was dressed with shoes (but her hair wasn't done), Princess was ready to go except she was running around trying to find her backpack and her shoes weren't tied yet. Bad combo, but nothing bad happened.

I hollered that I'm taking Tag and Pebbles to the car, Princess screamed that she doesn't have a coat or a packpack yet, and that's when Pebbles decided to just sit and scream. We all manage to get out to the van when I realized that Princess still has untied shoes and hasn't yet buttoned her shorts.

Ah. Driving. We managed to get to school with five minutes to spare.

Things that will change, effective today:

1. Tomorrow Clothes. That's what I call them. They will be mandatory every single night so we don't lose the habit over the weekend. Tomorrow Clothes will include a pair of shoes and, in PB's case, a coat and her backpack, and a snack in the fridge.

2. Breakfast options ready to go from the night before. Malt-O-Meal measured out in a Gladlock next to a sauce pan with measured water and lidded; cereal, bowls, and spoons (all clean) stacked on the table; fruit and knife in a bowl in the fridge; eggs are a no brainer; maybe I'll even write what breakfast is going to be on a note on the fridge.

3. Relax about the other two. They can eat and dress after we get back from dropping PB off.

Twice this week I've gotten into the van and realized I forgot to bring shoes. Once I almost went out the door without pants. (Grandma, don't faint!)

Thank goodness for those free lunches for us very poor military people. Poor Man though, since we got lunches for Princess I haven't been packing him lunches any more. :( And I should if I don't want him to eat out a few times a week.