Good Morning!

I've been up since about 4:15. That's when the little boy woke up and decided it was time to play. I managed to get him to lay down again, but not before I was all awake.

Since I'd lost hearing in my right ear, and since I was already up, I decided to clean it out via irrigation. Good news is it worked, and I can hear again. I went back upstairs to get a little more sleep, and was met in the hallway by the girl. She "need gotta lay down with mommy," and went into the bedroom to lay down with Mom. Mom, had gotten up to get the little boy a new diaper, because he'd taken his off. I went back downstairs and grabbed a diaper for the boy, took it up to the bedroom where the girl had climbed into bed between little boy and mom, who had laid down again. Little boy, it seems had fallen asleep in the time it took me to get his diaper, so naturally, when I put the new diaper on, he woke up. This new development meant that he and the girl had to start bickering about who got to lay down next to mom and who didn't have to lay down next to me. After a few minutes, I decided that we weren't going to get any more rest, and I took the little boy and girl downstairs so they could eat breakfast, I could make mom some coffee, and mom could get ready for work. This was about 5:15. At 5:20, the little boy started throwing a temper tantrum in the classic eyes not focused on anyone and the all energy diverted to full scream mode. He wasn't at all happy with the breakfast I got him or the milk he had asked for, or pretty much anything at all. Daughter was happily munching on her cereal until she spilled it in her lap and on the chair, which set her off into temper tantrum mode while she tried to get her nightgown off to go change. Daughter exited upstairs and son finally decided that the cereal he had requested wasn't too repulsive to eat, so long as he was sitting on my lap.

Daughter comes down with a new pair of pajamas. I suggest that, since it's now 5:50 and we normally get up at 6 to get ready for daycare, perhaps she would want to get some clothes. Well, how stupid can dad be? She starts crying because she doesn't feel good and can't go to daycare. Mom then comes downstairs for some coffee, slightly annoyed that I hadn't made any, and informed me that Daughter had carried on her tantrum upstairs and that daughter told her that she (daughter) was sick and needed medicine. I took daughter's temperature to show her that she wasn't sick while little boy came into the kitchen to lean on my legs with his hands straight up in a pick-me-up style, repeating "up" in case I wasn't clear on the drill. Daughter's temperature was 98.1, which, as we all know, means that she needed medicine to get better. I picked a purple pill to give her after she got dressed. Since she likes purple, jellybean flavored pills, she ran upstairs and got dressed in about 22 seconds. Mom finished getting the coffee ready and went upstairs to start getting dressed for work, and to watch the news - severe thunderstorms heading this way, just what you want to hear on a moving day (she's moving the office building from one suite to another today).

I go upstairs a couple minutes behind her, it's now 5 til 6, so I have to wake up The Boy. He doesn't want to wake up, so I have to do some cajoling, and daughter joins in, also advising us that it's started raining. I end up turning on the light and getting back to other morning preparation. We then hear playing in the bedroom, which is great generally, but when you're not dressed, haven't had breakfast, still have to brush your teeth and comb your hair, get your backpack ready, and get your shoes and socks on, it's not the most pleasant sound. I go in to get The Boy going on getting ready for school again and go back downstairs, trusting him to do what he needs to. Never trust your child to do what he or she needs to.

A few minutes later, wife comes down to get her first cup of coffee and informs me that the children are "scared" and playing around due to the thunderstorm and that daughter is being a lion and roaring to scare the thunderstorm away. I go back upstairs, get The Boy to get dressed and bring him downstairs to get breakfast. It's now 6:25. I put a wiggles tape on for the little boy and the daughter, a tape that apparently only holds their attention for about as long as it takes to get off the sofa. The Boy gets most of the way through breakfast (honey nut cheerios) by 6:37 and realizes he has to use the restroom. Surprisingly, today this task only takes about five minutes, meaning we have 18 minutes left to brush our teeth and get our shoes and sock on. I send The Boy and the daughter upstairs to brush their teeth. Five minutes later I go upstairs to yell at them to stop jumping on mom and dad's bed and brush their teeth. I manage to comb their hair at the same time, so one more step is done. I then say to the kids "go get your shoes and socks. Don't do anything else but get your shoes and socks. We have to leave in five minutes, get your shoes and socks on. Put on your shoes and socks. Shoes and socks, go." I know I'm not completely up to date on modern day slang or contemporary American suburban child vernacular, but I think anyone would be hard pressed to realize that what I just said actually nowadays means "go downstairs and play with magna doodles." So I now, after I've finished getting little boy all ready, have to go downstairs and harangue the other two for not getting their shoes and socks on.

Finally, daughter has her sandals on (I'll concede this, because it gets us out the door and it's already past 7 - leaving time), so I get her and the little boy and we open the door to head to the car. Of course we have to pause so daughter can bring in the paper, which slips out of it's plastic wrapping, which daughter has to try to replace, which is impossible for a 4 year old, so I tell her to forget about it and we'll go. Can't go. It's raining, so we need an umbrella. So I grab the umbrella, and daughter informs me that she has to carry it. I'm 5'9" or so, daughter is about 3'5". Fine, let's just get in the car. I get everyone loaded in the car, The Boy was only about 30 seconds behind us, thankfully, and we get on our way at 7:04.

So, how was your morning?