Morning Routine

Several of my friends lately have asked how I'm able to get Trey and all of our collective "stuff" out of the door each and every morning without going crazy. This question is typically asked by my friends who have nannies and who, therefore, don't have to get the kids ready and their stuff gathered each and every day. In response, I thought I'd dedicate a post to our morning routine. I typically try on this blog not to write in the first-person very much or have posts dedicated to my life as a mother - I try to make it all about Trey - but I'm breaking the mold for this post.

First of all, I must say that we have been blessed with a very good baby. Trey is a rock star sleeper - so much so that I'm sure many of my friends think I am exaggerating when I mention how well he sleeps at night. But I promise I am not lying when I say it is not unusual for him to "sleep" until 10 or 11 on the weekends; once he "slept" until 12:30 before I realized it (because I, too, had slept unusually late that day). I use quotes when I say "sleep" because I'm sure he is not actually continuously sleeping this entire time; rather, he is probably lying in bed entertaining himself for at least part of the time. But, regardless, he usually does not start fussing or loudly rustling until very late in the morning unless he hears one of us (almost always me) out and about in the house before then.

Second, as I'm sure most of you know, the Edwardses of Houston are not exactly morning people. We, in fact, loathe mornings. If it were up to us, the day would not begin before noon, and it would end very late at night. Based on Trey's habits as a very little baby, I'm sure he would be quite happy with this arrangement as well. But, alas, we are victims of "the man" (the most limiting factor being the hours of operation of Trey's school) and have to conform at least somewhat. Still, because Jack and I do not have "clock-in/clock-out"-type jobs and can get away with working some at night after Trey goes to sleep, we typically do not get to work before about 9 a.m.

Third, I feel compelled to mention that we have knowingly chosen the "school" route for our childcare option even though it adds to our task list each morning and evening. While I do often wish I had someone at my home each day to pick up the house, run my errands, and otherwise perform all of the non-childcare tasks that a nanny does (and I have been thinking for a while about hiring someone solely for these functions), I have never regretted our decision to put Trey in group care. Without going into this issue in detail, and while recognizing that child care is a very personal choice for each family, we appreciate the structure that school has to offer Trey. He learns things there that I know he would never learn if he were home each day with a single caretaker. I also appreciate the built-in accountability present at Trey's school, among other things. Having a nanny would certainly make my life easier, but I am willing to sacrifice some of the ease of childcare for what I feel is a benefit to Trey.

So, how exactly do our mornings go?

First of all, I try really hard to make sure I am ready for the day before Trey wakes up. This is easier said than done (see #2), but as most moms know, it takes twice as long to get ready once Trey is awake. He doesn't exactly like to sit still. And for some reason, Trey wakes up like clockwork right around 8:00 during the week, probably because he hears us in the bathroom, which is right next to his crib.

So I set an alarm and try my hardest to get up as soon as I can after the alarm goes off (I confess: I am a snoozer). I shower, and then I wake up Jack (yes, he is my first child). While he is shaving, I put Trey's morning cup of milk in the bottle warmer and I pack his bag for the day. When Trey was an infant, this meant prepping all of his bottles and baby food for the day; now that he is older, I usually only have to pack his breakfast (a whole banana) and one sippy cup. But if it is a Monday, I'm sending a sheet and blanket and a jug of milk, and if it is a Friday, I'm sending a towel and a full change of clothes for after the morning "splash" activity. Sometimes I am also sending diapers and/or extra clothes to replace the ones that were sent home after being spilled on or getting way too dirty on the playground.

Once I'm finished packing and making my morning coffee, Jack is usually in the shower. I finish getting ready along with him, and whichever one of us is ready first goes to get Trey ready for school. On good days, we get to wake him up together. We sing him a "good morning" song, get him dressed, and we're out the door. Most days, we all carpool together. Jack reads to him and we both talk to him as I drive.

Getting Trey up and taking him to school probably adds about 20 minutes or so to my day each morning, but I feel it's time well spent. Not only do I get to have this time with my little boy, which I think in its own way is quality time, but I also enjoy going into his school each morning, saying hi to the teachers and the other kids and some of the other parents, and spending a few minutes talking about what Trey is learning and the fun new things he is doing. I really wouldn't have it any other way. He loves going to school, and instead of him feeling like I'm leaving him each morning, he feels like he's having some special time of his own with his friends.