The best laid plans will undoubtedly go awry on a school morning in our household.
6:50 am - I get out of bed and start making my breakfast. Yeah, I kind of slept in, getting up 20 minutes later than usual, but that's okay. Friday mornings I don't have to go to work, so I can skip my shower for now, especially considering I'm planning on a morning run after dropping the girls at school.
6:55 am - I pack Madeleine's lunch while waiting for my bagel to finish toasting. Julia is buying lunch today. I'm making efficient use of my time and we're off to a promising start.
7:15 am - as I'm getting ready to sit down and eat, Madeleine comes upstairs, still in her pjs, giving me a wounded puppy face.
ME: What's the matter, honey?
MADELEINE: (whimpering) No breakfast!
ME: What do you mean? You ate it all?
MADELEINE: (whimpering) No breakfast!
ME: You haven't even had breakfast yet?
MADELEINE: (shaking her head, lower lip quivering)
ME: You mean you've just been sitting downstairs watching tv without having gotten your breakfast?
MADELEINE: (nodded, lower lip quivering)
ME: Okay, well pick a cereal and I'll get you some!
7:30 am - as I'm preparing my coffee, Julia comes upstairs to ask me about her lunch.
JULIA: Am I buying lunch today?
ME: Well, you circled it on the school lunch menu, so, yes.
JULIA: What is it?
ME: I don't know. I just look to see which days you've circled.
JULIA: But wheeeen is it ever gonna be French tooooast sticks?
ME: Uh...I don't know. Here. Let me check. (going to the file cabinet to pull out the lunch menu.) Today is tortellini.
JULIA: Okay.
ME: Is that okay?
JULIA: Sure.
7:47 am - Ethan shouts down to make sure the kids are nearly ready for school.
ETHAN: Are you girls both dressed?
JULIA: Me, yes, Madeleine no!
ME: Madeleine, come up and get dressed.
MADELEINE: (slowly clomping her way up the stairs.) But I didn't even have MILK!
ME: You didn't? Okay, get dressed and we'll get your milk. (calling downstairs) Julia, did you have milk?
JULIA: No.
ME: Okay, Madeleine, you go get dressed. (calling down) Come on up, Jules, and I'll do your hair.
JULIA: (traipsing up the stairs) But I didn't even get enough time to GALLOP!
ME: Okay, then gallop.
JULIA: (going into the bathroom sullenly) Nooooo! You said you have to do my HAIIIIR!
MADELEINE: (calling from her room) Uh, Mama?!? Can you come in my room?
ME: Jules, go gallop and I'll do your hair after I help Madeleine.
JULIA: Noooooooo! You have to doooooooo it! You said you have to doooooo it!
ME: Ethan, can you help Madeleine while I deal with Julia?
7:55 am - girls are sitting down at the table to drink their milk.
MADELEINE: (looking miserable) I'm cold! I need my blanket.
ETHAN: Just focus on your milk.
MADELEINE: (lip trembling) Blaaaanket.
ME: Julia, can you go grab Madeleine's blanket?
JULIA: (running off to get Madeleine's blanket) But Mommy, are we going to be late to school?
ME: No, we don't have to leave for another 10 minutes, don't worry.
MADELEINE: (beginning to write lower case letters on a piece of paper)
ME: Madeleine, drink your milk.
MADELEINE: Uh, hold on, Mama, first I have to...(making a lower case "m.") There! Okay. (taking one tiny sip of milk.)
8 am - Madeleine still hasn't finished her milk
ME: Madeleine, drink up. We have to leave in five minutes.
JULIA: But the bell rings in 20 minutes!
ME: Right, so if we leave in five minutes, we get there five minutes later, and you still have ten minutes to get to your classroom.
JULIA: No, but...oh. Okay. (running off to get ready)
MADELEINE: (face crumpling) Everyone is leaving for school and I'm still drinking my milk!
ME: I'm still drinking my coffee. Don't worry. We're not leaving this second.
8:02 am - Madeleine has finished her milk and goes to the couch with her blanket.
MADELEINE: Can someone give me some comfort? I'm cold!
ME: (giving her a quick snuggle) Okay, can you go get socks and shoes on?
8:03 am
MADELEINE: Julia, look what socks I found!
JULIA: (gasp) You little GHOSTIE socks!
(The little ghostie socks are simply plain white socks.)
ME: Can you put those socks on, honey?
8:04 am - I am frantically gulping down swallows of coffee to try and finish before we leave. If worse comes to worst, I heat it up in the microwave after drop-off. No biggie.
ME: How's it going, girls?
JULIA: (sitting by the door with one shoe on) A Woo-be-da, a woo-be-da, a woo-woo-woo! A Woo-be-da, a woo-be-day, a woo-woo-woo!
MADELEINE: (struggling to get her sock on.)
8:05 am - I gulp down more coffee and check on the girls
JULIA: (sitting by the door with one shoe on) A Woo-be-da, a
woo-be-da, a woo-woo-woo! A Woo-be-da, a woo-be-day, a woo-woo-woo!
MADELEINE: (struggling to get her sock on.)
8:07 am - I finish the last of my coffee and check to see how we're doing
JULIA: (sitting by the door with one shoe on) A Woo-be-da, a
woo-be-da, a woo-woo-woo! A Woo-be-da, a woo-be-day, a woo-woo-woo!
MADELEINE: (struggling to get her sock on.)
8:08 am - I'm starting to grow impatient.
JULIA: (sitting by the door with one shoe on) A Woo-be-da, a
woo-be-da, a woo-woo-woo! A Woo-be-da, a woo-be-day, a woo-woo-woo!
MADELEINE: (still pulling up her socks)
ME: Come on, Madeleine, get some shoes on, we need to go!
JULIA: (snapping out of her song and suddenly freaking out) Are we gonna be LATE??
ME: Well, we kind of have to hurry. If I were you, I'd do less "a woo-be-da" and more getting your other shoe on.
8:09 am - I notice that Madeleine put on her sandals over her socks.
ME: Honey, I think you'd be better off with sneakers. (Starting to take her sandal off for her)
JULIA: (totally freaking out) I don't wanna be LAAAATE!
MADELEINE: (following suit) I don't wanna be-
ME: Girls. Just get the shoes on and we'll go. No freaking out.
8:10 am - We start our trek to school five minutes later than expected.
JULIA: (THE. WHOLE. TIME.) Are we gonna be late?
ME: It's fine, honey.
MADELEINE: (miserable) I'm coooold! Why does it have to be so cooooold? I'm freeeeezing! (walking slow as molasses and drooping her lower lip)
ME: (hefting up Madeleine and speeding up the pace) Come on, girls, we're almost there.
8:18 am - I practically push the girls through the school door two minutes before the bell.
ME: Bye girls! Have a great day! Love you!
And now I can finally breathe again.
Sadly, that sounds normal!
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