Sharing Morning Routines

This was supposed to go up this morning, but my morning routine consisted of my bathtub clogging during my shower, and then my dropping my kids at school and then taking two flights and a drive on a work trip. Not normal for me, but not abnormal, either, unfortuntely.

Anyway, here's the yearly post in which we share out morning routines from the time we wake up until the time when everyone's "settled," whether that means you're at your desk, or your day is officially under way.

I'll start. I have two radically different morning routines, because I have my kids three mornings a week and they're with their dad three days (we swing Sunday mornings). Remember that my kids are 8 and 5, therefore awesomely self-sufficient and both in school all day.

On days my kids are NOT with me: I either a) wake up at 6 and do the T-Tapp Total Workout or b) wake up at 6:30ish and lie there thinking about all the stuff I should be doing. I hop in the shower and tell myself I'll be out of the apartment by 7:45, but then somehow I seem to disappear into a time warp and I end up stumbling out of the my building with wet hair and smudged eyeliner not having eaten breakfast (but probably with my lunch packed) at 8:15. If the subway runs decently I take one train, switch to another, stop at the Korean bodega to get a cup of coffee, and am at my desk a little after 9.

On days my kids ARE with me: My alarm goes off at 6:20. I start prodding the kids to get dressed, after assigning my older son the job of checking the weather on tv or my phone. (If I did my job the night before then all three of us have chosen and laid out our clothes already.) I hop into the shower quickly, then get out, assess the clothes progress, ask the little one again to put on his clothes, ask the older one to put on his socks, and start breakfast. The little one needs more time to eat because he dawdles, but the big one needs way more food since his lunchtime isn't until 1 pm, and there's a very limited subset of breakfast foods they both like that will actually stick with them (no, you can't have nothing but cinnamon toast), so breakfast is an attainable victory every day.

I've filled their water bottles the night before and have them in the fridge, as well as portioning out the vegetables and side for their lunches, so all I have to do is put together sandwiches and their lunches are packed. Assess clothing progress and prod some more. Make sure breakfast is being eaten. Do one more check of backpacks (packed the ngiht before by the kids) and my purse and work bag. Get dressed myself. Run a brush through my wet hair. Eyeliner, mascara, lipstick. (During all of this I've also sent and received anywhere between 5 and 25 texts to/from my mom, my brother, my best friend, or any of three or four other friends.)

Give the 5 minute warning. Kids start really getting moving. We walk out of the apartment 10 minutes later, just before 8. The subway ride takes about 40 minutes, then a 4 minute walk to school. After they're both dropped off, I get back on the subway and then switch to another, stop at the Korean bodega for coffee, and get to my desk at about 9:30.

My mornings are wacky and full, but not particularly stressful anymore (except when my tub drain clogs and I almost overflow it).

Now you go.

Comments

[liz]

Alarm goes off at 6. Snooze till 6:38. Get self out of bed, get son out of bed, lay out clothes for self and son (if requested). Dress. Brush teeth. Remind son to dress and brush teeth. Go downstairs to get snack (and sometimes lunch) packed for son. He gets own breakfast (he's 8). Drink coffee. Run out the door at 7:20 to get him to school between 7:35 and 7:50.

After drop-off, drive self to work. Get to garage by 8:00, to desk by 8:10.

Drink more coffee.

[Fraulicious]

I, too, have two morning routines ... one for when I work (Tue - Thu) and one for when I don't (Mon, Fri). I have two daughters, one is almost 3 years old, one is 2 months.

On non-work days, DH's alarm goes off at 6.15 and he listens to the radio for a long while before getting up, getting ready and leaving. I may at that point have the younger one in bed if she woke up to nurse. Anywhere between 7 and 8 (usually closer to 7) my older daughter will crawl into bed with us and we are usually up be 8.30 or so. Love those mornings cuddling in bed with the two girls.

On work days my routine will need to follow the same timeline as it was before my second daugther was born, so it will be interesting. Here's what I'm aiming for: (I have 3 more weeks of maternity leave left). Alarm goes off at 6.45, wake up younger daughter and nurse her. 7.15, wake up older daughter, pick out her clothes after checking weather on phone (sounds like Moxie's day) and helping her get dressed (although she's starting to actually do some of it herself). Get myself dressed, and the baby. Grab lunch and bottles, head out of the door at 7.50. Drop younger at daycare and then older at preschool (all part of the same daycare, but different entrances in the building). Leave and drive to train station. Catch 8.11 train, 8.21 at the latest. At my desk in the office at 9.00. Have breakfast and coffee there.

[chapmanchick]

My morning routine begins the night before. Since my son insists on wearing his "jammie shirt" to dayhome, I change him into a suitable shirt to sleep in. One less battle in the morning.

Pre-6am my son wakes up to ask me if he can play computer games (PBSkids, Treehouse) and I say yes, knowing that it buys me some non-interrupted snooze time/shower/makeup/dressing time. He will sometimes eat the dry cereal I put in a bowl the night before. Pick out some sweats for him to wear (to accommodate his recent aversion to pants with zippers - see morning battle comment above). Make breakfast for me, try and convince him to eat something. By 7:30 I have thrown my lunch, his cup and a banana in my work bag, eaten breakfast (but not cleaned it up) and made at least 3 attempts to get socks on The Boy. When socks and shoes and jacket are on, I get my stuff together, bemoan my lack of comfortable yet stylish shoes and give my son a piggy back out to the car.

Schedule will have to be moved up about 10-15 minutes in the coming months to allow time for scrapping car windows/brushing off snow/warming up the car.

Drive 20-15 minutes to my son's dayhome, singing Christmas carols. Drop him off, chat with his caretaker for a few minutes, hug good bye and drive 5 minutes to work.

[chapmanchick]

Oh - I forgot to mention that the banana is for The Boy to eat in the car.

[iris]

I have it easy, since I work from home. I almost always wake up in my daughter's bed around 7:30 or 8, after staying up way too late and then getting called into her room sometime in the middle of the night. She's 3--we co-slept until just a couple of months ago, so even a few hours of independent sleeping each night is a success. We pick out clothes the night before, so she can get dressed on her own, or one of the parents help her if she's dragging or playing. My husband is usually up earlier than I am and is dressed and makes her lunch before we wake up, so while he helps her with breakfast, potty, brushing teeth and hair, I get dressed. We're out the door by 8:45, verbally checking off everything we need as we get in the car: daughter's lunch, snack for the drive if she's still hungry, keys, bags/computers, gym items. She's at school at 9am, and then it's a real mixture of dropping off my husband at his office, going to the gym, going to a coffee shop to work without the distractions of home, or going home, to be distracted by a hundred things besides work.

[Holly]

Well... I used to start our day at 6am but my baby was so fussy, grumpy and tired that I decided to switch up my morning work out routine. I no longer go to the gym BEFORE work so my mornings are pretty lazy. I like it that way.

7:30am - get up wash my face and brush my teeth. Start putting makeup on. Little C usually wakes up around 8am. I get him up, get him cereal and banana. Turn on Yo gabba gabba. Finish my make up, get dressed. No shower in the morning - I take one after I work out at lunchtime. Nice, hot showers at the gym and a lovely steam room!

Gym bag and snacks packed for C the night before. Clean him up, get him dressed, put dogs in the kitchen, check the air conditioning or heat, turn off lights, set the alarm and off we go! To... Starbucks. Venti, iced, 4 shot latte for Mommy and Madelines for C. Back in car and onto the freeway - boo! 30 mins to daycare (thank God for the carpool lane), drop him off, talk to teachers, play with him for 10 min and then back in the car and 25 minutes to my office. At my desk and ready to go at 10am.

I like this post. I love to see how others live. Thanks Moxie :)

[JCF]

We sort of have two morning routines: days when my husband is working from home/leaves after breakfast, and days when he is already gone when the rest of us wake up. I am a SAHM with three kids: almost 3yo boy, 21mo girl, and 2.5mo boy.

Days when my husband is gone:
-Usually doze fitfully from 4-7ish while baby is restless and wanting to nurse constantly and DH's alarm goes off and he gets ready and leaves.
-7am: older 2 run in and wake me up for good. If I'm lucky, baby stays asleep while I get the other two up, but not always. Change diapers, take 3yo potty, get breakfast started while kids play a bit (or whine).
-7:30ish, everybody eats (something quick but healthy--green smoothies, whole wheat toast or bagels with protein source like scrambled eggs, peanut butter, or cream cheese).
-8ish, finish breakfast, change diapers again, nurse baby and get him down for nap.
-8:30ish, turn on an episode of "Go Diego Go" or "Wonderpets" for older two, buying myself 20 minutes to get ready. Frantically get dressed, try to make hair reasonable, make beds, clean up from breakfast, start morning chore if time (dust, gather laundry to take to communal laundry whenever I get a chance, etc.)
-9ish, TV off, dress kids, grab my cup of coffee, and sit down to play trains, dolls, blocks, etc.
-9:30ish (if it was a good nap), baby up from nap.
-At this point, I work on chores as time/kids permit, but mostly don't worry about getting stuff done until naptime and just play with the kids for a couple of hours/nurse baby/change diapers.

On days when my husband is home, he and I divide and conquer as far as breakfast, getting everybody cleaned and dressed, and cleaning up the kitchen is concerned. This means the schedule goes pretty much the same way, except I get a little more done.

[MrsHaley]

I also have 2 routines -- one for when we have to get out of the house, one for when we don't.

DD - 3.75 years old (4 in Dec.) & DS was 2 on Sat. (!!)

When we do, we're up by 7:30, I dress the children as they wake. They then lounge in my bed & watch an episode of Blue's Clues (Steve only, please!) while I shower & dress. We all head down to eat & caffeinate and head out the door by 8:30. We have to report to most of our locations by 9am.

On the mornings we don't have to leave by 8:30, we usually eat first, then get dressed. We got in this habit when I was pregnant and had to eat right away after waking and I still prefer it. We just end up dawdling over breakfast and staying in pj's most of the morning. I actually prefer doing housework in pj's anyway, because then I don't get real clothes all messy.

I love these posts, too. It appeals to my poorly-hidden inner nebnose.

[zed]

The 'goodnite lite' turns to sun mode at 6:25, and this is when the boys (3.5) come into our bed for a snuggle. Usually I've been woken around 6 by one of them calling out for something, but amazingly they respect the night light and don't actually come into our room until 6:25.

We snuggle until someone gets grumpy or until 6:45, whichever comes first.

I suggest they get dressed, and sometimes they do. More often they just mill around in jammies while DH and I get breakfast ready. We eat, suggest they eat, and one or both of them eats, or they keep milling around. DH is usually in the shower first, and I clean up and continue to urge eating and/or dressing. Then I get in the shower and DH continues urging/cleaning.

By this time it's close to 8:00, and they're usually both dressed and just getting into some activity that will need to end. So we make a game or otherwise get them to brush teeth and go pee, then choose a layer and get socks and shoes on. When that's done, around 8:15, DH takes them to daycare. I hang out the laundry, finish cleaning up, then bike to work, usually there by 8:45.

[paola]

We have just gotten home from holidays, my daughter has just started day 2 of kinder and I've got a 2 hour morning gig, so there is no routine happening in our house just yet.

Here is what has been happening this working week anyway:

Awake at 5.30. We all seem to be still suffering the effects of jet-lag even though we have been home 5 days now.
If I can convince the kids to fall back to sleep I can enjoy cuddling with hubby for a while, then up at 6.15- 6.30 so I can finish preparing my lessons and have a quiet shower in peace.

Get kids up at 7.15. They have to get dressed before breakfast. This has been relatively easy as they are both pretty excited to be back at/ go to school.

Breakfast complete by 8.00. This aint all that easy as DD is just not a breakaster, and prods at her wheatbix and milk for 45 minutes. The rest of us love a huge continental breakfast and can throw it down in 10 minutes flat.

Kids/me brush teeth, wash faces, nasal cavities irrigated (cold and flu season and that) and play until 8.30, when we hitch a ride to kinder with dad.

Leave kinder at 9.00, arrive home on foot at 9.15. Attend to chores (grocery shopping, errands) or work.

[flea]

Our morning routine has changed from last year - both kids at school (4 and 7) means no daycare dropoff, school moved opening a little earlier to shave days off the calendar and save money, and the big change - we banned TV in the mornings!

I am a morning person, so I am usually awake by 6, and often get up and do internet and make coffee. (One of the BEST things a family can do, IMO, is prep the coffeemaker the night before, so all you have do to is push the button first thing in the AM.) I wake mr. flea by 6:30 and the kids by 6:45. I try to be dressed and have the kids and my lunches made before the kids wake up, because things get much more hectic then. We install the kids at the table and feed them, and I pick out outfits for them and they dress at the table. Shoes on and we are out the door by 7:20. Usually mr. flea is the one we are waiting on.

We drive to school (which I hate - we could walk but would have to leave 10 minutes earlier and those 10 minutes are precious!) I walk Dillo (PreK) in to his class, and if there is anything to discuss with Casper's teacher mr. flea will walk in too; otherwise he waits in the car. Back out and get dropped off at my work and am usually at my desk by 7:45. (School officially starts at 7:40, but we like to get the kids there by 7:30 because it starts getting really hectic the last 10 minutes - in the halls and in the car dropoff line - and it's no fun to start the day with that kind of stress!)

[flea]

Also, my 7 year old has started drinking coffee (which is 3/4 inch of coffee, milk and sugar to fill.) I don't think she's getting much caffeine, but on the slow mornings it really does seem to have a perkifying effect! Possibly it is the sugar - but I think it's also psychological.

[Linda]

We have two 6yos in 1st grade and a 3yo.

My husband wakes up early - he's working through the Couch to 5K program. He's usually back from his run around 6:15 and showers and gets himself ready.

I roll out of bed at 6:55 with a lot of grumbling and snarling. I hate mornings. I get dressed in my workout clothes and head down the hallway to the girls' room.

All kids are woken at 7 (sometimes we let the 3yo sleep in, but she's a morning person and is typically happy to get up with her sisters). I've laid out school clothes (thank goodness for uniforms!) the night before, so the 6yos dress themselves with a bit of prodding. The 3yo chooses her clothes and pees and gets dressed.

Downstairs, the older two brush their hair while we get breakfast. I do their hair while they eat. Lunches, if needed, are packed the night before and backpacks - packed by the kids - are all ready, too. We are a well-oiled machine in the morning because we have 30 minutes from wake up time to walking out to the car with my husband. My beautiful husband has already made coffee and emptied the dishwasher - this makes the start of my day SO MUCH BETTER.

At 7:30, he loads the older two in the car and drops them off at school on his way to work and I sit down with some coffee and my computer. Twice a week the 3yo has preschool at 10:15, but otherwise we do errands or go to the Y once I'm awake. I shower after my workout, in the afternoon.

[Melissa McCarthy Steinberg]

I have two boys, 1 & 3 and DH stays home with them. I work M-F, 7-3 with a 45 minute commute. 3yo goes to full-day preschool, Mon-Thurs. Here's our morning.

Alarm goes off at 5:30, and I wake to nurse 1yo. As the snooze goes every 9 minutes, I try to detach and sneak away. Lately, he hasn't gone back to sleep, so I give up around 6 and get DH up to be with 1yo while I get ready.

Quickly shower and dress (every time I think about going back to long hair, I remind myself how easy this pixie cut is in the morning). Lunch for me and 3yo is packed the night before, and I leave breakfast materials for myself at work (bagels/cream cheese). If I have time before leaving, I make coffee (Highly recommend the Keurig, 1 cup!) but I have the same coffee machine at work, so I know there is a reward after my drive, if I can't do it at home.

I try to leave no later than 6:30, depending on how clingy 1yo is and if 3yo has gotten up. Any later than 6:30, and I get stuck in traffic. I listen to audio books in the car and am at my desk anywhere from 7:00-7:15. I have my bagel and coffee and can catch up on emails before things get cooking around the school. (I work at a college.)

DH gets 3yo up at 6:30, feeds both boys while they watch some PBS kids. We have a closet organizer with 5 shelves and 4 shoe cubes that we hung by our front door. On Sundays, I lay out clothes for the week for both of them. Their shoes are always in there (we are a shoe-less house). 3yo has potty time, DH put ice pack and water bottle in the lunchbox and packs the back pack, gets both boys dressed and leaves for school by 8:15.

It's going OK so far. Last year, I was able to get up and out without waking anyone and they all got up after I left. It was easier that way. I'm hoping 1yo will do better once he weans (which is a whole other topic).

[Missy]

My morning routine is pretty easy because I try to get up and get out the door to work before anyone else is up (so I can be home early - and it saves on commuting time both ways). I am up at 6 and out the door at 6:30ish, at my desk by 7. My 8 year old's alarm goes off shortly after 7 and she goes and crawls in our bed to watch the morning news with her dad (they were supposed to start watching the news for current events for school and we just can't work that into the evenings). Plus, she needs lots of time to wake up so it's working well.

Sometime in there the 1yo will get up, and the middle 2 are woken by 7:30. Kids eat breakfast, get dressed, brush hair and teeth. Oldest 2 head out for the bus at 8:15. Husband finishes getting younger 2 and himself ready and gets 4yo to preschool by 9. He's a SAHD, so he gets the morning with just the 1 yo before preschool pickup.

I try to lay out clothes the night before and pack lunches if they are eating cold lunch. We typically have bags packed and have everything on hooks the night before so the kids know where to grab it. Cuts down on morning chaos. Unless it's library day - we can never remember library books!!!

[My Kids Mom]

Alarm at 6:25, husband off to shower. I get to hang out in bed with my boys who run in to join me when they hear the shower start.

When hubby gets out, everyone gets up and I start pestering them to get dressed (2 boys, ages 6 & 9) while I get dressed in sweats.

They must be finished with clothes, hair, making bed by 7:00. If they accomplish this they get a reward on Fridays. (free books I was given but they've never read)

At 7am we all troop down to the kitchen. Bagels and cereal alternate days generally. We pull together last minute lunchbox needs. Food must be eaten by 7:20 to have time to brush teeth.

My husband walks them to school and to be on time they must leave by 7:25. (I walk to pick them up from school in the afternoon. We live "too close"< 1.5 miles! to get a bus.)

When they leave, I take a deep breath and slide over to the computer. Husband returns home, grabs his lunch and he leaves on his bike, usually. I dawdle on the computer a bit longer, start a load of laundry and eventually get into the shower and start my own day.

[Jessica]

When step-kids are not with us:

Alarm goes off at 6, snooze a couple of times. Husband gets up and shaves and gets in shower. If 18-month old isn't up by then I wake her up when shower starts around 6:30. I nurse the baby and get her dressed. When husband is dressed, he takes the baby and a snack to daycare and I start getting myself ready. I get to work shortly before 8.

When step-kids are with us:

Routine is much the same except after his shower, husband wakes the boys up. Once husband is dressed he takes the baby into the kitchen where she sits in a highchair and has snack while brothers are eating breakfast and I am showering and getting ready. Shortly before 8 I drive the baby to daycare and then go to work (stopping for a croissant) and I arrive shortly after 8. Husband sometimes drives boys to school, but usually they walk or ride bikes.

I need to figure out something healthier to eat for breakfast. Skipping the stop at the bakery would also get me to work earlier. I just can't manage to do it.

[Kelly]

Alarm goes off at 6. Hubby hits the snooze and we roll over and snuggle-sleep for 30mins or so (luxury, I know). He hops in the shower and I get the boys (6 and 3.5) up and get them clothes from the (clean) piles on our bedroom floor where they've been sitting for Gods know how many days, not being folded and put away. I go downstairs and start the kettle, get my breakfast set up and head back up to shower. By the time I'm clean and dressed the menfolk are all in the kitchen eating or prepping breakfast. Once I'm done eating and usually before I finish my tea I'm up and prepping the oldest's lunch while hubby gets the snack ready. We threaten and cajole them to finish eating then youngest goes to play while oldest pees and brushes his teeth. His ride gives the 5 min call and we (lately) carry him out the door (he's decided he doesn't like school anymore and doesn't want to go). Hubby leaves right after he does, I get Little dressed then pick up my netbook to "work" while he starts playing/whining/nonstoptalking.

Breathe.

[paola]

@flea

I'm goign to get yelled for this but my kids have been drinking coffee since they were 18 months old. Same as you, two teaspoons of coffee already dilated in milk, with extra milk. I know it is the sugar they like 'cos the times they have had coffee without sugar they have pulled faces. Never seemed to interfere with sleep though, so no reason to ban it.

I figure it is no great evil. Italian kids regulalry drink non-decafed tea and no one frowns at that.

[Elaine]

Mornings are pretty manageable for us lately. 6 month old is up between 5:45 and 6am (actually he's usually up at 530 but very content to talk and roll around in his crib for a few minutes). Husband changes baby and plays with him/gives him a bottle while I grab a shower and get changed. I play with baby while husband gets a shower. The baby has been really good about just sort of playing on his mat for a few minutes while I make his bottles. If he isn't patient enough for that I wait until my husband is out of the shower before I retreat into the kitchen to get bottles made for the day. We head out at 7am and I drop the baby off at daycare and then head to work. I usually get to my desk a little before 8am after talking to other parents at daycare and getting myself more coffee from Dunkin Donuts.

[SarahG]

Kids are DD, 1 (daycare) and DS, 3 (preschool). My alarm goes off @ 6:45, snooze until 6:52 when I hop out and get in the shower. DS gets up around 7, comes to say "hi" and heads downstairs to grab his juice from the fridge (placed there the night before), turns on the TV. DH is up by now. I try to get dressed, make-up etc by 7:15, most days it's closer to 7:30. DD is up and crying, get her changed and dressed and downstairs for her bottle. Coffee has brewed (prepped the night before) and DH has made a pot of oatmeal, warmed the bottle, poured my coffee. Feed DD her bottle, DS is eating his oatmeal, then DD in her highchair for oatmeal while I go dry my hair.

7:50 ish - DH gets DS cleaned up (not well enough, I finish with a licked tissue in the car), dressed in clothes I've brought down, shoes for both kids. Lunches (packed the night before) into backpacks, everything into the car, kids into the car by 8:05 am. Drop DD off @ daycare 8:15, drop DS at preschool by 8:30, back home to work by 8:45 am. (Supposed to start by 8:30...)

I would never get out the door without doing most of the work the night before (lunches, coffee, bottles, sippy in the fridge, weather checked, clothes picked, bags checked...).

[Thy]

Two boys: almost two and five and a half.

The night before I pack lunches and snacks and bags.

At dark o'clock the almost two year old starts pestering me to nurse and I fend him off (we co-sleep) until the alarm goes off a couple of hours later at 6am. I have not nursed the baby between midnight and 6am for way over a year now in the hope that it will encourage him to sleep better - he still thinks that I will change my mind. Anyway when the alarm goes off I nurse him, change and dress him whilst my husband takes a shower and gets dressed. My husband then takes him downstairs and starts breakfast. I get my five-year old to the toilette and either help him take a quick shower or get him started on getting dressed. Then I shower, clean the bathroom and get dressed while chatting with the five-year old and coaxing him along in the process of getting ready, We gather up a load of laundry and head downstairs to breakfast. I pop in the laundry while older son decides what to eat for breakfast. Help husband with finishing prepping the breakfast (usually with my younger son velcroed to my body) and we sit down to eat together. Then me and younger son goes back upstairs to brush teeth and get ready. Come back downstairs and play with the kids for ten minutes while my husband shaves. Then the magic starts: our live-in caregiver enters the scene and I take off for work with the whole bunch waving and throwing kisses! (Oh the luxury of having childcare in the home! No commute with kids! Hardly any transitions! Bliss!)

I am out the door at 7:30. My husband about an hour later. He puts the snacks and fresh stuff in the school bags, flips the laundry to the drier (well when he remembers anyway) and walks out with the boys and the nanny when they head off to school. He is at work just after 9am.

[Donna]

My 4yo daughter wakes up around 6-6:30, one of us (usually him) starts working on breakfast. My daughter gets dressed, we look through books or play and then we eat around 7-7:30. Hubby either showers or prepares for partial biking to work depending on weather. We're about an hour car drive to his employment. I pack my daughters lunch/snack and make sure everything is set to go. Husband takes her to school (we aim for 7:40) on his way to work. I still have my p.j.s on because I work from home. If I'm not overwhelmed with work, I go on a run and settle into work with coffee. I get about 5 hours before I pick her back up and have her through bedtime.

[Slim]

Hee -- my youngest likes coffee, too, and it would probably help if I could either get off caffeine myself or not worry if he gets it, because making a separate cup of decaf for him is a hassle I don't need (sort of like flea's extra ten minutes to walk to school -- not going to happen), so he only gets it on weekends. Sorry, dude.

Maybe I need to break out the cold brewer.

[Emily]

We have a boy in kindergarten (4.9, 5 in Nov.), and B/G twins in preschool (2.75, 3 in Jan.). Both parents working full-time, opposite schedules.
-5:20, alarm goes off, snooze button hit
-5:25, shower
-5:45ish, downstairs. Listening to news radio in the kitchen while I make their lunches and mine (ok, not always mine) and eat breakfast. I always remind myself I could sleep later if I made lunches the night before - but I actually like having the quiet time in the morning to myself, and evenings are full enough already.
-6:40, start waking kids. D is usually awake but happy to stay put and quietly read/talk to herself until I come upstairs. Grab clothes from stack in hallway laundry basket, clean but not put away.
-6:50, breakfast and getting everyone dressed, order determined by who is most agreeable. A few minutes of computer time provides incentive for oldest to get going. Breakfast is usually some combination of cinnamon waffles (mini-size, dry), banana, dry cereal. They all have a snack time fairly early in the day.
-7:20, socks & shoes on, hair brushed, all ready by 7:25.
-7:25, DH walks in the front door, coming home from his overnight shift.
-7:30, Kids into the car, DH takes them to school (all in same building). Only 3 blocks away... morning walks in our future. On his off days during the week I'm on drop-off duty, usually Th and/or F.
-7:30, I finish getting ready and try to do a couple quick chores - trash out, pick up toys.
-7:45, DH is home and we attempt to have a 5-minute conversation. (He sleeps during the day, picks up kids late afternoon, I'm home 5:30-6.)
-7:50, out the door for a 45+-minute mass transit commute
-8:40, at my desk - a few minutes or more of checking in on headlines and blogs (note my timestamp here!) before I dive in.
Whew!

[Tara]

Just one son (2 in a couple of weeks).

Alarm goes off at 5:50am, then DH and I get ourselves ready and do breakfast prep. At around 6:30 or 6:45, we wake DS and play for a bit in his crib/room. DS needs a some transition time between waking and dressing, so this usually lasts about 10-15 minutes. Getting DS changed and dressed has been a struggle lately - he's been very resistant.

We are all downstairs for breakfast by around 7am, then loaded in our cars by 7:30am. We both drop DS off at daycare since it is on the way to both of our offices.

After dropoff, I start my hour-long commute. On a good day, I am at my desk by around 8:30am. On a not-so-good day (like today), it is closer to 9am.

I've toyed with the idea of fitting in a workout in the morning, but that would mean waking up close to 5am. I'm not sure I could handle that!

[Erin]

It's hard to think of a morning routine, because with our four month old, and a recent sleep disruption in the toddler due to illness, night blends into daytime! But most nights, I try to protect my husband's sleep as much as I can (though he does quite a bit of soothing - our baby can't seem to sleep more than 45 minutes at a time - thanks 4 month sleep regression!). Ideally, our toddler wakes up at 6 (usually shouting "EAT TIME!"); my DH gets him, feeds him breakfast, starts getting ready, and comes and takes the baby from me once the toddler is settled. They play in the basement until 7 or so so I can get a little more sleep. At 7 my DH lets my toddler upstairs; he comes running into my room to wake me up, usually by shoving a book in my face. He crawls into bed with me and we read books for a while. Then I get up and quickly get dressed, make his lunch, get things settled for the morning babysitter to come and spend a few hours with the baby and then take toddler to day care at 8. Did you notice there's no shower, coffee, or breakfast in there? I shower at odd times, and eat breakfast once I get to "work" (which I do in a cafe). Morning times vary a bit since the sitters come at different times. I only work a few hours in the morning, which means that I can be a bit disorganized. Some mornings I pump before leaving, some I don't have enough time.

[Stacy]

Alarm goes off at 6:10 or 6:30 depending if it's a hair was day. Get myself out of bed after a little cuddle with my cat. Husband still sleeping in bed. Go downstairs and feed cats, then shower. Four-yr-old son wakes up on his own or I have to wake him up just before 7:00. Watch Curious George with son and get in a morning cuddle, or snooze a bit more on the couch. 7:30, son watches Peep while I do my makeup. Make breakfast for the two of us. Always cold cereal for me. Sometimes my son wants/needs two eggs, but thankfully he's also on a cold cereal kick, so it's not too much effort. Brief clean up from breakfast (dishes won’t be washed until later that night, if we’re lucky). Send son upstairs to get dressed with husband, who’s up and showered by now. Get my packed-last-night lunch out of fridge and husband’s if there were leftovers (he won’t let me make him a sandwich). My son, thankfully, gets lunch at daycare. I go back upstairs to accessorize and nag son to get dressed because he’s usually dawdling and playing. We brush teeth together. Back downstairs to put on shoes, collect coats if needed, pocket book, lunches, and anything else we need to bring with us. Bring recyclables out, bring out any outgoing mail. Husband buckles son in my car, then moves his car out of the way, so I can get out of the driveway. Say goodbye to husband, and I bring son to daycare, which is a 5 minute drive away. Then, I drive to work, which is another 10-15 minutes away. I usually sit down at my desk just around 9:00.

We’ve pretty much got this down to a science, but luckily, my husband and I both work so close to home, and my job is fairly flexible, so if something derails us, we can recover easily. Also, my son is becoming more self sufficient and having only one child to handle makes it pretty easy.

[Mogget]

Our morning routine is as follows: My DS is 5 and in K, my DD is 3 and stays home with her dad. I work outside the home M-F. My STBX is still living at “our” house. When he moves out this will change the routine somewhat, but hopefully not too much because he says that he will continue to help out. We’ll see.

My alarm goes off at 5:25 and I hit snooze once (or twice). Usually one or both of the kids have gotten into my bed, so I take the opportunity to ‘nuggle with them. Around 5:40 I turn on some cartoons while I shower and then wake the kids if the TV hasn’t done that for me already. DD stays in her PJs until she gets home with her dad, so she just needs a granola bar for her first breakfast, and shoes. I tell DS to get dressed in the outfit I laid out for him the night before (I check the weather in the evening), and leave out a granola bar for him. I pack the lunch I prepared for him the night before (a bento style lunch some days, some a sandwich and go-gurt) and pack my lunch as well. I remind DS to finish getting dressed and to eat his granola bar. DS’s school provides breakfast for all the students free of charge, but because DS will get sick if he gets too hungry, we give him something to tide him over until breakfast. I start getting dressed in the outfit I laid out the night before/make-up on around 6:15. I usually have soaking wet hair for the first half of the day because I never have time to dry it, I’ll have to change my routine a little when it gets cold and add in a few minutes to get the drying process started. Usually around 6:20, I wake my STBX (he sleeps on the couch with an alarm clock, but ignores the alarm) and ask him to brush DS’s hair and tie his shoes if they need it. By 6:45 I am out the door to work and by 7:00 STBX has the kids on the road to school. School is about a 10 minute drive and since DS takes a long time to eat, we get him there as early as possible (7:10) so he has plenty of time to eat breakfast before school starts at 7:40. I arrive at my desk around 7:20. STBX gets back home around 7:30 and feeds DD her 2nd breakfast at this point. I eat breakfast (a granola bar or a bagel with cream cheese) around 0900. No caffeine for me until lunch. If I shower the night before, I sleep in until 6:00 (which is nice, but it doesn’t happen often enough for it to be a routine).

[Rudyinparis]

My alarm goes off at 5:15. Sometimes I hit snooze once or twice. I get up, DH and the girls are still asleep. I get ready for work and am out the door at 6:20. Everyone is still asleep. Drive about 35 mins to work and at my desk by 7:00.

DH and the girls get up at about 7:00. Cereal for breakfast, he makes lunches. General prodding from him, sometimes stressful (from what I hear). At 7:50 he and Younger walk Eldest to her bus stop. She's on the bus at 7:58. Then he drives Younger to daycare.

I think we've worked out an equitable split. I do the daycare pickup, afternoon errands as necessary, clean out the backpacks, and make dinner in exchange for his doing the morning routine and making the lunches. It's new this year for him to be doing lunch duty, and I LOVE IT!

[Lisa]

2 DDs, 5 yr and 4 months. My DH travels all the time, so I do this alone most days.

Night before: pack older DD lunch/backpack, pack my lunch, breastpump, purse, pack baby diaper bag for daycare.

Morning: alarm goes off at 5:30, I shower and get myself ready while praying neither DD wakes. If baby stirs, run back and forth popping in the paci to keep her quiet as long as possible. Goal is for me to be ready to roll at 6:15 (in theory to get a cup of coffee from 6:15-6:30 but rarely happens). Some days older DD wakes on own around 6:30, some days I need to wake her at 6:45. Goal is to get her dressed and ready by 7. Uniforms, so no clothing battles. Run downstairs to set up her breakfast and turn on a show, make pot of coffee for me. Wake baby, quick clothing change, head downstairs for morning BF session. Try to have everything done by 7:35. 7:40 older DD gets picked up for carpool to school (no bus), I leave at 7:41 to drop baby at daycare. 7:50 I'm on the road to work. Goal is to be in my office ready to work at 8:30, though with traffic it's usually closer to 8:45.

FWIW, I am NOT a morning person and the 5:30am wake up time kills me. But I find that it's just best to get myself ready before I tackle getting the other 2 ready.

[Charisse]

Mouse is 6 and in 1st grade. My routine's pretty basic:

-alarm goes off at 6:43; snooze until 7:01
-shower
-pack lunch for Mouse (right now tomato salad, seaweed, fruit, cheese sandwich, trailmix, water bottle)
-do the 5 tibetans or some sun salutes, check email from east coast clients & read a couple blogs
-8AM: start prodding Mr. C and Mouse to get up
-8:15: Mr C is in the shower, Mouse is on her couch with her outfit and a book and is allowed to intermittently read as long as she also gets dressed
-dress self & start breakfast (wholegrain toast with PB or bagels with cream cheese & tomato). Mr. C finishes breakfast & makes tea after he's dressed
-8:40: everyone should be at breakfast; help Mouse with hairdo
9:07: catch the bus across the street from our house
9:23: arrive at school for 9:30 start
9:35: walk to underground station, catch train, do more email etc on the way
9:50: at desk

[AngstyJen]

We have one daughter, almost 4, who goes to all-day preschool/daycare. DH and I both work full time outside the house. Twice a week I get up at 5:30 to go running, then come home and shower and wake up DH. The other days the alarm goes off at 7. We shower, get dressed, makeup, etc.

Our daughter usually has to be woken up (she's a night owl) by 7:45. I pick out her clothes (she'd just as soon go to school naked), get her milk and portable breakfast (frozen waffle, bag of Cheerios, etc), and turn on Clifford for her. Then I pack lunches for DH and myself and tidy up for a couple of minutes if possible.

Then begins the power struggle that is getting DD dressed and out the door. Someone is often crying. I take DD to preschool around 8:15 and I get to work by 8:45 or so.

Our morning probably sounds lame to those with more than one kid, but it's really hard for me! Our daughter is extremely strong willed and not a fan of leaving the house in the a.m.

[Mama Fuss]

SAHM, 2 kids - daughter 2.5, son 3 weeks. I am still waking during the night for feedings, of course, so I am usually up between 2:30 and 4 am (he tends to like to stay up after this feeding. I'm working on discouraging this!) but after 5am, my husband takes over. If I have pumped milk in the fridge, my husband feeds him a 5am bottle. If not, I have to get up once the baby is changed. My husband stays up and plays with him and takes his shower, etc. I get up some time between 7 and 8 (husband leaves at 8, so I can't sleep past that, even if it's been a particularly bad night.) My daughter gets up between 7-8 usually and I give her breakfast. She gets to watch some PBS TV while I take a shower. I do some chores and check in on the computer while I eat breakfast. Feed the baby and then we try and get out of the house to do something. I imagine my routine will change in another few weeks, once the baby is older and his feedings space out a bit more.

[SarcastiCarrie]

My routine is drastically changed from last year. We got a nanny so now there's no urgent need for me to dress anyone other than myself in the morning.

No alarm - I have Chuckles. He comes in to snuggle between 6 and 7. Sometimes I'm already dressed and crawl back into bed just for this time.

At 7:15 the nanny comes. At 7:28 I am out the door. At my desk by 8 if there are no trains blocking the road. I don't usually get to see Bobo my almost-2 year old in the mornings anymore, but he's much happier sleeping in, plus we keep him up a little later at night now.

[Raia]

I also am SAHM mom to a 2 year old and almost 4 week old. No idea what's going in the mornings. The 2 yo wakes up at 7, so I wake up (or, you know, remain awake) and try to feed both boys (hungry at the same time), get a cup of coffee down, and get all our teeth brushed, face washed, clothes on (i showeer night before and boys get baths as needed in the evenings). It actually sounds pretty easy, especially as compared to those who have to leave home for work, but mornings SUCK regardless. Everyone needs everything at once.

[mom2boy]

Last night I decided to tweak my routine and set my alarm to get up at 6:00 to be able to get in a quick workout before Tate (3 yrs old) gets up. He's been getting up around 6:30 on average for the past few weeks. He woke up at 5:55.

Typically he wakes up and calls for me. Either I'm laying next to him having fallen asleep putting him to bed or I come in from my room. He says he wants to go to the couch. We move tot he couch snuggle in the dark for a while. Eventually he's either thirsty or ready to play. Either way, I tell him it's time to make coffee and he can get some milk/water. Then we head to his room to play, on the way I grab my phone and check email. Lately he's been asking to watch Backyardigans while I get his lunch packed, my bag packed and myself dressed. Then it's time to get him dressed. This he has decided is a "very bad idea" and often results in him yelling no at me. So then he spends a minute or two or five in his room until he comes out calm and we get him dressed including a trip to the potty and brush teeth. Then he gets on his bike and he rides it down the hall to the parking garage, bike goes in the trunk and we drive five minutes to his school unless we stop for a smoothie on the way. (Yogurt is in his lunch box as a breakfast alternative) He's usually there by 8:30. I have a 45 minute drive to school four days a week.

[Minty]

Currently on mat leave with 8 month old. Wake up when I hear DD on the baby monitor which can be anytime between 6:30am and 8:30am but typically 7:15am. If DH isn't in the shower yet (his alarm goes off at 7am) he'll change her diaper and bring her to me so I can breastfeed her in bed. He usually hops in the shower then. DD and I cuddle and play in the bed (usually because I'm so dead tired as she's still up a few times a night) and wave goodbye to daddy when he leaves at 8am. We go downstairs and generally eat breakfast together at 8:30am, and then after breakfast around 9:15asm we change diaper, get dressed, and nurse again until she falls asleep for her morning nap. Then I have anywhere between 45 min and 1 1/2 hrs to shower, clean up breakfast dishes, let cat out, let cat back in, and check email and try to do something in the house (sort laundry, unpack dishwasher).

[ARC]

@chapmanchick - good to know i'm not the only one who sings Christmas carols off season :)

[Cloud]

We have two kids: Pumpkin, who is 3.5 years old, and Petunia, who will turn 1 on Saturday.

Like many, I start the routine the night before- I prepare Petunia's milk and food for the next day and I make my lunch.

In the morning:
1. The alarm goes off at 6:20, and Hubby gets up and heads to the shower. I stay in bed and snuggle with Petunia. (Who probably last woke up to nurse at about 5:30, and woke me up at least one other time in the night, so don't feel sorry for Hubby.)

2. I get up when Pumpkin wakes up or when Hubby gets out of the shower (6:38, the man is like clockwork), whichever comes first. If Pumpkin woke me up, I take her to the potty. If not, I go start breakfast.

3. I nurse Petunia whenever she wakes up,usually about 6:50.

4. One of us gets Pumpkin her breakfast, and Hubby unloads the dishwasher (his penance for the fact that I cook dinner ever week night).

5. Sometime between 7 and 7:30, I go shower. I MUST wave bye-bye before I go, or Pumpkin comes in and says bye-bye while I shower.

6. After my shower, I put my hair up in a clip, stuff a ponytail holder in my pocket, brush my teeth and put on mascara.

Meanwhile, Hubby is eating breakfast and feeding Petunia her breakfast.

7. One of us gets Pumpkin dressed, brushes her hair and teeth, and puts sunscreen on her.

8. I pack the cold things into my lunch bag and pack my pumping bag (soon to be phased out!) and kiss Petunia goodbye.

9. Petunia waves bye-bye and gives me a big grin. Pumpkin carries my lunch to the car, and then stands in the door yelling "bye bye" while I drive away.

Hubby gets Petunia dressed and packs the girls off to daycare.

10. About 20 minutes later, I arrive at work. I braid my hair while I read my emails and then I start my day. Unless someone has scheduled an early meeting for me....

[Jenny]

Alarm goes off at 6:15, one snooze allowed (used for snuggling with my husband.) Then I shower and get dressed and ready -- vitamins, makeup, hair goop -- while my husband makes lunches, sets the table for breakfast, empties the dishwasher, and gets my son dressed for school. (Son, almost 3, would prefer to stay in PJs all day and fights getting dressed, but fights it less before breakfast than after.) Breakfast is usually some comobination of cinnamon toast, cold ceral, bagels and cream cheese, or yogurt, plus tea for me. My daughter, 5, doesn't start school until 9 and stays in jammies.

AFter breakfast, at around 7:30, I get shoes and socks on my son, grab lunch, extra pants (we are working hard on potty training right now and go through at least 2 pairs of pants a day), and any other necessities and head out the door with my son. My husband will drop my daughter off later, around 9. He also gives her a shower in the morning 3 times a week. I have a 20-30 minute commute in the morning, and my first class starts at 9.

Love these posts!

[parisienne mais presque]

Our 3-year-old just started nursery school this year, and I'm loving the new routine both morning and evening, believe it or not.

7:15 alarm, I stumble to the shower, my husband gets out of bed and showers shortly afterward. Somewhere between 7:30 and 7:45 our son either wakes up on his own or we wake him up; he wants either Mommy or Daddy and NOT the other one to help with potty and getting dressed (normally whichever one of us is busy getting dressed ourselves -- the other one just won't do).

Then he eats breakfast veeeeeery slowly; I try to remember to put out a toothbrush and face cream to be used/applied before he leaves for school with Daddy.

I eat quickly and am out the door by 8:15. Depending on transit strikes/my mood/the weather, I either take two Métro lines and one train or one bus and two trains to get to work.

An hour later, I want to kiss the new corporate shuttle driver because he actually waits for people to make their way off the train and to the shuttle before leaving. The public bus drivers just wait long enough for the people to get off the train and glimpse the bus from the platform. Then they gleefully speed off while we're all making a mad dash for the turnstyles.

I'm at my desk at 9:30, enjoying a cup of disgusting, free coffee in a tiny plastic cup.

Meanwhile, my husband has sheparded my son the five blocks from our apartment to school. Three blocks in first gear "dawdle" mode, and the last two blocks at top speed because he's so excited to see the school building. A few words with the teacher, and he's off, one Métro ride and he's at his desk by 9:15.

I just want to add that crumpets are the ideal toddler breakfast food. No icky transfats or strange ingredients! No crumbs on the floor! And my son just loves them! OK, so I have to drown it in butter and that detracts somewhat from the nutitional value, at least I know what he's eating. When he was little I was a little worried he'd choke if I didn't tear it up into small enough pieces, but now he does just fine with a whole one (or two or three).

[Betsy]

Oddly enough I just wrote a post about my morning routine this morning. Heh.

So I'll link instead of re-writing: http://bit.ly/aoCLHe - besides, the post has photos.

[Jac]

Our routine changed significantly this year because of DS starting preschool. So, two WOH parents, 3 year old DS in 5 morning per week pre-school.

DS crawls into our bed at 6:45 when the Good Nite Lite turns on (no need for alarm clock here either). Snuggle until 6:55. Pee stops and then DS on couch to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I shower and then make breakfast. MMC over at 7:25 - we breakfast until 7:50. Nanny shows up around 7:30 and cleans up breakfast mess (bliss). Upstairs. Nanny dresses DS and plays with him so I can put make-up on in peace. Downstairs at 8:10 for socks, shoes, and jackets. Out the door at 8:15. Nanny takes DS by bus to pre-school drop-off at 8:45. I drive to work, at desk around 8:30.

Husband is often home during this time but he travels so often that we don't really factor him into the morning routine - the routine is working so well that he would probably just throw a wrench into it. Of course, this will all change in November when DD arrives.

Oh, and DS also gets a smidge of tea (with me) or coffee (with daddy) in his milk in the morning.

And we also sing Christmas Carols off-season. I use them as bed-time lullabies too.

[Allison]

I too love these posts!

Three boys: 7, 3-going-on-4, and 17 months. I work three days a week. This is the workday schedule:

No alarm -- we have the 17-month-old, who consistently wakes up at ten minutes to 6:00. He gets his wake-up bottle with us in the bed, and then he's off and running, and so are we.

Husband gets in shower, and I follow, while the toddler toddles around destroying things. The bigger boys usually wake up around this time, and are encouraged to get dressed, with varying levels of success.

As I'm finishing my shower and getting dressed, my husband takes the boys downstairs and starts the breakfast proceedings, which on weekdays are simple affairs of toast or cereal or oatmeal.

Then I hustle around putting lunches (assembled the night before) into backpacks, making my own lunch for work, and eating my breakfast. Once the bigger boys eat, they can watch a few minutes of TV before I leave the house with middle son. During these few minutes of TV, I often finish dressing my middle son.

My mom, who watches my oldest and youngest, arrives around 7:30, and I take my middle son to his preschool/daycare and then I'm off to work! I arrive at 8:30 am.

(Actually, my "home" day schedule is pretty much identical, except I pack up all the kids to drop off my oldest at school -- which starts at 8:10!! -- instead of heading to work.)

[the milliner]

Our house: 2yo boy, dog, cat, DH & myself

I would love to start more of our morning routine the night before, like many here have posted. But alas, it will require a HUGE shift in our schedule and we just haven't been able to do it yet. I'm cutting myself some slack until DS starts sleeping through consistently from 7:30 pm - at least 4:30 am.

1- I wake up to the sound of DS crying. Varies anywhere from 4:30 - 6:30 am. Usually can get him back down to sleep after BF if it's before 5.

2- Really up for the day around 6am (6:30 on a good day).

3- DS & I go to living room. On the way past the kitchen, DS feeds the cat. Then we watch Sesame Street videos or do a puzzle, read, etc. Activity depends on number of night wakings. On bad days, I try to get a bit extra sleep on the sofa while DS sits with me and watches said videos.

4- DH gets up anywhere between 6:20 & 7am. Takes dog out for her morning walk. *Technically we are supposed to alternate this. Again, I usually only go out when I'm in a good sleep place.

5- DS eats his breakfast at 7am (yogurt & cheerios, or toast & omlette). I make my breakfast and either join DS or eat it in the kitchen while I do the dishes, load/unload the dishwasher, make my lunch, prepare DS' water for daycare (add teething drops). *On days I walk the dog, DH does the above.

6- DH home at 7:30 from walking the dog. If everything is going relatively smoothly and on time, I jump in the shower.

7- After shower, change DS' diaper & get him dressed. Usually not a struggle. Esp. if we read something while he's on the change table.

8- I get dressed & DS 'assists' me with my make-up by handing me brushes, mascara etc. Towel dry and brush out hair, add goop, put into a bun until I get to work.

9- DH leaves the house at 8 sharp to catch his bus. If we're on time, we leave with him and drive him to the metro (saving one bus trip). If we're not on time, DH brings DS' knapsack to the car on the way out.

10- If we don't leave with DH at 8am, DS & I are out of the house by 8:30 at the latest.

11- Drive to daycare singing the ABC song and Old MacDonald ad nauseam, or recite books I know by heart as DS 'reads' them. Drop off DS at daycare and am at work at 9am at the latest.

Writing this all down, I realise our routine could use some work, in that there seems to be a wide variance in timing for the same tasks everyday. Damn sleep deprivation. Throws everything out the window. One day, one day...

[the milliner]

Oooh...how could I forget a veeery important part of the morning routine. Before leaving the house I prepare my iced latte to go. Leave a squirt bottle full of espresso in the fridge, so it makes it pretty fast to do. Mornings I forget my coffee or don't have time to make it do not start well. And there's no Starbucks on the way to work :( .

[Nmom]

One 1-yo son. Work from home 3 days.

6:15-ish AM - wake up. Lie in bed, castigating myself for not setting an alarm so I could work out or go for a run.

6:30-7:00 AM - Baby starts pounding on his crib to be rescued. Rewarded with a huge smile, a "mama", and bear hug.

7:30 AM - coffee for me and breakfast for baby has been just about wrapped up. I've gotten stuff out of fridge for son's lunch (organized the night before). Start calling upstairs for Dad to get out of bed.

7:30 AM (workdays) - Open laptop and begin to sift through emails while Dad and son play and get dressed.

8:00 AM (workdays) - Dad takes son to daycare.

On non-workdays and the weekends, it's pretty much the same routine. By 8:00 AM, the baby is in the stroller and the dog is leashed up for pajamas-in-the-park. That lasts about an hour...I have no idea what I'm going to do once it gets too cold for our morning walk.

On workdays, I usually shower at lunchtime or just before picking my son up at 5:00PM. On mom-days, I usually shower during morning or afternoon nap.

I think ideally I would get up at 5:00 AM and work out for an hour and then shower. This is what I did for years pre-baby, but somehow, I have not been able to get that energy back.

[grrrr]

My mind is boggling at how much of this work is being done by working mothers with partners! Is a more equitable distribution of morning care-taking not possible?

[nelloo]

6:45-7:15 - My 2yr old wakes me up. He crawls in bed and we cuddle for 5-10 minutes.

7:30 - Say goodbye to Dad as he leaves for work

7:30-8:15 - Play and eat breakfast.

8:15-8:30 - Goose watches 2nd half of Curious George as he finished breakfast. I get dressed for work. Put his lunch and school stuff in a bag. Grab some clothes for him.

8:30 - Dress Goose. Close bedroom doors so the dog doesn't sleep on our beds.

8:35 - Out the door for the drive to "school"

8:45 - Get to school. Put up his stuff. Read a book. Say Goodbye.

9:00 Drive to work. In my office by 9:15