A typical morning at our house this year

As the years go by, I have noticed that our mornings have a different twist .. depending on who leaves when and how old our kids are.

Last year our morning routine was like this...

6 am-up, breakfast for Joe,
6:30-off to the bus at 6:30, and continue a quick walk/fun until about 7 am
7am-  I would make breakfast, pray and read my scritpures.
7:30 am - Breakfast for Jon, Michael, and Jacob.
7:40 am - Take Jon to school at about 7:40 ish.
8:00 - Take Michael and Jacob to school
9:00-ish. Scott would get up.  (I know this is so late.)

Years ago I was up at 6 am to walk with a dear friend Jennifer Spinti... that changed when Eric started middle school.  I loved started my day this way.

This year..has been a bit more crazy.

6am- Joe and Jon up at around 6 am.
6:20 am- Jon showers and grooms, get ready for the day.   Yes, it takes him about an hour.
6:35-Prayer at the door with Joe as he leaves for the bus.
7:00--ish  Breakfast with Jon.
 7:20 am Prayer at the door before we leave for Brighton High.
7:30 am-Michael and Jacob up.
8:00 am Breakfast with Michael and Jacob.   We try to leave at 8:10 am, so I don't need to make two trips to Silver Mesa Elementary.  Jacob's school starts by 8:20 am.   Michael gets on the bus at the church across the street from the school by 8:30 am.
8:30 am Then I run back home and begin waking up Scott at 8:30, get him dressed, fed
9:00 am Scott off to preschool.

Whew!  I breathe a big sigh of relief when I pull in the garage after the last child has been delivered to their designated school.

That is how it goes on a good day.  But, many days this year this is how it really went:

7 am -I sleep in  (stress)
6:15 - am Jon is already up showering (he gets up at 6:15 or so)  I go downstairs and try to rouse my senior in highschool out of bed.  Sometimes Jon too.. (but rarely)
7:25 - am Joe finally rolls out of bed.
7:40 - Eric to takes Joe or Jon to school. We have a very rushed prayer at the door.. but we do it.
7:30ish am-If I am taking Jon to school, he drives the car to school with me.  I drive back home...
7:45ish - Michael and Jacob are still not out of bed even though I woke them at 7:30 and even though they have an alarm clock too!  They roll out of bed, have a quick breakfast, prayer, and leave for school at about 8:15.. which made Jacob late a lot in the third quarter of school this year.  Then I sit in the car and chat with Michael until his bus comes at about 8:30.  Then I hurry home and work to wake up Scott who was up yet again too late... and we get him to preschool about 5 min late almost every day.

No.. I am not proud of this.  But this has been reality this year... yes... that is how it is sometimes.

I am bound and determined to make things work better next year... even though it is only the end of May, I am already re-thinking and making new plans...

Ahhh such is life.