Seven Kids Mornings

Septuplets are probably very difficult. I imagine absolute chaos. Exhaustion. I never, ever, had romantic notions that multiples would be fun. But at least they'd all get going at the the same time. Right? Seven kids and a boarder, ranging in age from college to preschool, are all over the place. You see, I have five boys going to 4 different schools each with their own start time- 7:20, 8:30, and 9. And my man- you never know what he's doing on any given day or if he's traveling, so I've got him weaving in and out of my mornings, too.

A 6:30 alarm tells me to make my first lap around the house. Sometimes I manage to hit the floor right off, but I'll snooze if my man is home and can beat me to the thermostat to bump it to 63 from its overnight setting which is too cool to admit in print. My niner is always already up. And dressed. I like to have a good 15-20 minutes alone in the kitchen with my boy. It's a good time to check in with him before he leaves for the day. By 7 a.m. he is out the door for his 3 block walk to school. I kiss him at the door and watch him walk down the sidewalk as far as I can see him.

I make another lap, back up the front stairs and around to the back stairs to the kitchen, to see that the teens are up. I make my big boys' to-go cups of hot chocolate and something they can take in the hand for breakfast as they run out the door: the next two must be out of the house by 7:33 a.m. to catch their bus. Once they are out I assemble some high calorie breakfast and snacks for my athlete. He's out the door by 8 a.m. to catch his bus. These teens don't loiter in the kitchen with me often, so I can usually read my Scriptures and pray, and have a meeting with Jeff as we check the calendar and ToDo list. I glance at the menu listed on the wall and start thawing meat or cooking dried beans or making bread dough during this morning hour.

By 8:02 a.m. then, I am enjoying a quiet moment in the kitchen with my two littlest girlies- the only time of the day I really have them alone, thanks to their older sister's sleeping late. I make them glasses of milk, plates of fruit, pop tarts and/or oatmeal, and we talk. Silly little girl things, serious little girl things. Precious little girl things. Our boarding student comes into the kitchen around 8:30, fixes himself a cuppa and some toast spread with Laughing Cow. The girls brighten his morning with their smiles and chatter, and we all say goodbye to him for the day as he slips out the door at 8:43. The big sister finally wakes up and comes down some time around here, and fixes herself breakfast.  We chat about the day's plans.

Now I can make sure the doors are all locked, kiss my girlies and head back upstairs. I'll do my workout video, shower, dress, put on my face, and  really start my day. It's probably 9:30 by now, I've been up three hours, and it's time to really get to work~

So that's what mornings are like around here.  How 'bout at your place?