A peek inside our day the first 30 minutes:

I took this idea from another favorite of my blog reads: Dooce.

I wake up startled and look at the clock, 7:31am. Ron is not next to me as I lie and listen for the noises of the house. Nothing. The house is still quiet as if everyone is sleeping. I head to my bathroom and strip from my clothes. It is then that I realize I am still wearing the same long-sleeved tee and sweatshirt I wore the day before. I exchanged the jeans for sweats before bed but I was so tired it’s as far as I got. As I walk toward the shower, about to step in I hear the water turn on for the downstairs shower. Argh.

(If Ron and I take a shower at the same time there is no water pressure or hot water.) I slip on my robe.

I walk into Jackson’s room and listen for a moment as he snores. I prop open his door as I leave so the sounds the house wake him.

I walk the house picking up toys and dirty laundry off the floor so our cleaning lady, Jane has a clear run for vacuuming the floors. I open our blinds and let the morning sun shine in and when the water turns off downstairs I head upstairs to my shower. To my shower that is cold, not luke warm or chilly but c-o-l-d. It’s a good way to wake up the senses and get me moving in the three minutes that I am able to stand the cold water.

I come out of the bathroom to my freshly showered and dressed hubby and hear sounds of a girl ready to get out of her crib. Ron gets Addie up and dressed while she calls out to everyone. She alternates between “Jackson” and “Breakfast”.

Ron and I take turns going into Jackson’s room to rouse him from his slumber without much luck. When he finally wakes, he grumps and groans and then proceeds to throw a fit as soon as we tell him that it’s a school day. I fight with Jackson to put on his clothes and even offer to help him this morning. His argument, that is not lost on me, is that because he fell asleep in his clothes he's already dressed. And as tempted as I am to leave him in yesterday's clothes, Ron is the voice of reason and tells Jackson that it's not an option. As I’m helping him into his Wonder Pets underwear he complains that he would rather wear Spiderman underwear. (WonderPets are so six-months-ago). Jackson grabs the Spiderman underwear but at this point I’ve given up helping him so he puts them on by himself. He puts on the clothes I have picked out for him and I wrestle his two feet into socks. After all of this, Jackson reluctantly comes to the breakfast table, wrapped in his Star Wars blanket.

It’s just then I remember it’s “X“ week at school and Jackson needs to bring something for sharing that starts with the letter “X”. I call out to Ron to see if he has any ideas and he thinks there is an X-ray in one of Jackson’s books. So I scan the book spines looking for the “Jobs” book, but the search is fruitless. Ron checks the living room book stash without any luck either. Jackson helps in the search by looking in the downstairs book stash and comes up the winner.

All this happens while Addie sits quietly eating her bowl of Cheerios with milk. It’s exciting to her because she would usually get a sippy cup of milk and dry Cheerios but Ron is trying something new. The trial has had some successes and some spills. For instance this morning, when there weren’t any more Cheerios floating in milk she, like her dad and brother alike, picked up the bowl to drink the milk. Only, she missed her mouth and poured the milk into her lap. But this is the only way she will learn.

Ron pulls out box after box of cereal as Jackson informs him that each is not the one he is pointing at. He finally figures out that Jackson is pointing at the oatmeal on the top shelf. Jackson thinks this game is fun and is completely able to verbalize that he wants oatmeal, but we play into it and therefore stretch what should be a ten second conversation into a five minute production. Ron microwaves oatmeal as I prepare my frosted mini wheats. I bring my bowl to the table, take a few bites and then Jackson asks for juice. I pour his juice and return to my slightly mushy mini wheats. Addie complains for more and I get her a banana to fill her little tummy and come back to just plain mushy shredded wheat. As I finish eating Ron writes out the check for Jane and I open the door for her.

I originally hoped to give you the first hour. The first hour between the time we wake up and the time we get out the door. But this is long enough already and I’m only half way through our routine. I will let you in on the second half of our morning another day.