Broken Record

 {Unrelated picture, but I figured everyone is dying to see what color the wreath has been spray-painted now.  Hahahaha.  (It's Krylon's "Blue Ocean Breeze" in case you were wondering.)}

Here are the words coming out of my mouth EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING.  "Stay on schedule." "Stay on schedule!!" "KIDS, stay on schedule!!"  "What should you be doing right now??  STAY ON SCHEDULE!" "We need to stay on schedule, guys!!!!"  "ETHAN, GRACE, SOPHIE -- STAY ON SCHEDULE!!!!! We're going to be late!"

So, what exactly does this mean in our household?  Well, let me fill you in on what our theoretical morning schedule looks like:

• Wake up
• Eat breakfast
• Make lunches and pack bags 
• Get dressed and brush teeth
• Do chores
• Scripture time
• Leave for school

Not too complicated.  AND completely doable considering school doesn't start  until 9:05 AM.  And they all wake up around 7 -- sometimes even a little earlier.  Now, this year has admittedly been a bit lax -- Alex was born a few days before school started and there were clearly some adjustments made.  As much as I hate it, TV was watched a whole lot before school, chores weren't ever really done, and scripture time was pretty much always done in the car driving to school.  But the baby is 9 months old now.  I am trying to reclaim my life here -- especially with the advent of summer upon us!

My efforts to get back on track have not taken off as I would like and, unfortunately, mornings are almost always a bit rough.  For some reason my kids resist along pretty much every step of the way. One of these days I'll get around to a separate post devoted entirely to the subject of raising the spirited child, but until then here is a snippet of what I'm up against every day of my life.  Hahahahaha.

Breakfast?  "I'm not hungry." "I want you to pour my cereal."  "I don't like anything we have." "I just want tortilla chips for breakfast.  With catalina dressing."  "I don't like eating breakfast."  

Making their lunches? --

Ethan -- You have to make my sandwiches! 

Me -- I'm not going to do something for you that you can do for yourself.  Especially when I'm trying to help the two little ones with breakfast still.

Ethan -- You HAVE to!!!!

Me -- No, just do it.

Ethan -- NOOOOO!!!  You have to do it!!!!

[repeat that conversation for about 5 more minutes]

Me -- Ethan, you spend more time complaining about it then it would take you to just do it!

Ethan -- I want you to make my sandwiches!!

Me -- Ethan, why are you trying to convince the rest of your third grade class that they need to learn how to make their own lunches so their moms don't have to if YOU'RE not even doing it? Do you want me to send a note to them so they know what's really going on?

Ethan -- NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! Okay fine.  I'll do it.  But you have to buy me a Kindle Fire!!!

Me -- Grace have you made your sandwich yet?

Grace -- I don't want one.

Me -- You have to pack something for lunch.

Grace -- I'm never hungry at lunch.

Me -- I don't care -- you still have to pack something.

Grace -- I don't want to.

Me -- You HAVE to.  And I need you to stay on schedule.

Grace -- [running around, not listening]

Me -- Grace!  Make your sandwich.  And then go get dressed.

Grace -- Fine.  [hastily throws together a sandwich with a smear of peanut butter on it; runs off to play some more.]

Getting dressed results in a whole lot of  -- "Can't I just wear this?"  "No, you wore it yesterday -- it's filthy and you slept in it." "So.  I don't want to change."  "Just go change, please?  Please?"  "But I don't have anything to wear."  "Yes, you do.  Go change!"

 

{I thought this outfit was hilarious a couple of weeks ago when she threw it together so I took a picture.  She must have really liked this look because she recreated it for today but with tennis shoes (for P.E) instead.}

And doing chores?  Yeah right.  You can pretty much almost forget about that.  Mostly what happens is a lot of complaining -- "It's not fair, my chores are the messiest!"  "Sophie didn't do her chores yesterday!"  "Why do I have to load the dishwasher, Grace never does it when she has the kitchen!" "We're going to be late for school!"  -- all intermingled with a lot of running around, chasing each other, screaming, playing, fighting, arguing with me, getting on the computer and otherwise doing anything BUT their chores.  

And then finally Scripture Time.  All we do is repeat our scripture of the month {this month it's Acts 2:38, in case you're wondering}, sing a song, and do prayers and hugs.  It takes 2 minutes at best, yet every single morning we run out of time and end up doing it in the car.  Every single morning.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of trying to get the two older ones off to school, there are also three little ones constantly underfoot who are almost always demanding my attention as well.  Not to mention I do like to eat breakfast and get dressed myself.  So, yeah.  Mornings are a bit chaotic and I'm pretty much a broken record every day of my life.  THIS morning however, I'd like to document a minor victory.  Although, to be honest it's pretty major for number one son.  Ethan didn't complain AT ALL this morning about doing his chores.  And he actually did them.  AND he had the kitchen!  Unheard of, I tell you.  Hahaha.  Perhaps it's because I informed them yesterday that we would not be leaving for school from now on until chores were done or perhaps it's because he's finally made the connection that more sleep = less crazy.  Whatever the reason, he DID make a point of pointing out to me his good behavior this morning along with the following observation:  "I think it's because I woke up at 7:30 this morning instead of 6:30."  Hmmmmm.  You think????  Hahahaha.