Early Morning Chaos

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As a mama who works outside of the home, oftentimes the most stressful part of my entire day is getting out the door in the morning. Yep, you read that right. Many days, the hour or so spent juggling an infant, a 3-year-old, and the basic task of getting myself presentable for the day ahead is more stressful than the eight hours I spend working as an attorney in my office. Some days, it is pure chaos.

To illustrate my point, here’s a quick look at how a recent morning played out. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

6:35 a.m. Walk in the door from my early morning workout. (I will fully acknowledge that this is my own crazy endeavor but it keeps me sane, so it’s worth it. Truly.) On a good morning, the 3-year-old isn’t awake yet, my hubby is showered and the baby has been fed. On a rough morning, the 3-year-old is laying on the floor mid-tantrum and my hubby is frazzled and hasn’t had a chance to shower yet. The 3-year-old tends to totally dictate the kind of morning it’s going to be for all of us.

6:39 a.m.  Argue with the 3-year-old about what color cup she can have for her milk.

6:45 a.m.  Pick up an entire bowl of spilled Fruit Loops off the floor while hubby starts getting the 3-year-old dressed for the day.

6:46 a.m.  Beeline for my 3-year-old’s bedroom to investigate the tantrum that I can hear all the way in the kitchen.

6:49 a.m.  Convince the 3-year-old that yes, she must actually wear underwear.

7:00 a.m.  Finally, hop in the shower after hearing for the third time, “You need to take a shower, Mommy, you’re yucky.” I recently realized that a cold shower is the way to go because I’ve not had a chance to cool down from my workout yet because I’ve been so busy mom-ing.  If I’m lucky, the baby has gone back to sleep for a quick nap and I don’t have to shower through the sounds of a screaming infant.

7:10 a.m.  Hubby comes into the bathroom and informs me there is green food coloring all over the kitchen floor.  The green food coloring was used for the 3-year-old’s science experiment 4 days earlier. How the dog ended up with some of it on her paw and spread it all over the kitchen floor this morning is truly beyond me.

7:15 a.m.  Kiss my hubby and older daughter goodbye, just as the baby wakes up crying.

7:20 a.m. Blow dry hair with one hand while simultaneously rocking the Rock and Play with the other hand.

7:35 a.m.  Attempt to get dressed and apply makeup while continually popping the pacifier back into the baby’s mouth.

7:45 a.m.  Swiffer green food coloring off the kitchen floor. Curse the white tile floor.

7:50 a.m.  Grab diaper bag, toss in a change of clothes for the baby, grab breakfast to eat at the office, and head out the door to drop the baby off at the sitter.

8:00 a.m.  Drop the baby off.  Breathe a huge sigh of relief and mentally high-five myself for surviving the morning craziness. Head straight for the Dunkin Donuts drive thru for iced coffee.

How does the morning routine look in your house? I’d love to hear from you!