Depending on the day of the week, things will look a little bit different in our house each morning. But no matter what day of the week it is, one thing is for certain…it’s typically pure CHAOS.
I swear, I could get up at 5:00am every single day, yet something would STILL happen to leave us scrambling last minute. Maybe it’s just me? Maybe it’s all Jay’s fault (it’s not…but I can still try to pass the blame, can’t I?)? Maybe it’s us still trying to figure out this whole ‘parents of two’ thing?
Regardless, trying to get everyone ready and out the door every day can sometimes be one of the most daunting times of the day. It can also be the most comical (usually in hindsight), so I try to remind myself that it won’t ALWAYS be this crazy.
Right? Promise? It won’t always be this crazy…?
First, depending on if I’m working from home or at the office will first dictate whether or not a shower is happening for me (work from home days are questionable on the shower front). On the “need to shower days,” those mornings tend to start a little earlier. And if I’m lucky, both boys are still sleeping.
These are usually days, however, where one or both of the boys ALSO decide to wake up earlier than their normal times. If it’s Lucas, we usually toss him in our bed and let him watch one of his shows (which used to work like a charm, but lately, that doesn’t cut it and he wants to be downstairs playing instead). If it’s Alex, I may or may not try to squeeze in a shower before nursing him and let Jay get him up.
Assuming that it’s a lucky day where both boys are still sleeping by the time I’m done showering and at least partially ready for the day, I’ll usually wake up Lucas first. If he’s not already awake on his own, he tends to get a little, err, shall we say…GRUMPY…when he first wakes up. Oh, how I love him.
Once he’s good to go, he’ll usually want to come with me to wake up Alex. It’s the sweetest thing, really. He loves his little brother (just as long as he isn’t touching, nearby, or attempting to reach for ANY of his toys). And this tends to be a nice, calm, sweet moment in our morning.
FYI: this picture was taken after a nap, not in the morning. Yes, I know about crib safety with babies; Alex only gets a blanket when I can watch him constantly on the monitor during a nap.
Next is getting Alex dressed and fed. This is a relatively easy part of the morning, since he can’t yet talk back to me and tell me “NO, MOMMY!” while running away as fast as he can.
Yes, I’m able to get in mini workouts even on the mornings when I’m not geared up in workout clothes!
Once Alex is dressed and fed, Jay is usually getting ready to leave to bring Alex to daycare and head to work himself, so it’s time for me to tackle Lucas. Not literally, of course. But if I’m lucky, I’m at least halfway through my first mug of coffee by this point for some stamina.
On the days he goes to preschool (also the days I work in the office), we have a little more time in the morning before we need to leave, so I’ll usually let him stay in his jammies while we go downstairs and begin the breakfast routine.
Lucas has a pretty simple list of what he will eat for any given meal. Up until recently, breakfast would typically be a rotation of something like cereal, yogurt, some fruits, or breakfast bars. And even then it’s usually a battle.
So imagine my delight when I had him try these new-to-him Premium French Toast Sticks from Farm Rich Bakery and he was actually EXCITED about them.
I love ‘em because they’re easy to stock up on, I can grab them out of the freezer and have them ready in minutes, and they even pack 10 grams of protein in each serving.
He loves ‘em because they’re sweet, delicious, and packed with real cinnamon (and go perfectly dunked in his beloved syrup).
If you haven’t heard of Farm Rich before, they’re one of the nation’s leading frozen snacks and appetizers brands. And this fall, they rolled out an entirely new premium line of delicious baked breakfast and snack items – Farm Rich Bakery – giving busy families convenient solutions and easy options for their busy days and lives.
One breakfast is finished, we usually have about 10 minutes left to get dressed, brush teeth, and run out the door…so that battle begins.
Then I usually spend at least a minute or two chasing speedracer throughout the house to try and get some shoes and a coat on him. But eventually, I always wind up victorious, I get our bags packed, and we’re out the door!
Whew! So much for mornings being the most relaxing part of the day, right?
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Brynn says
Love the clarification on tackling Lucas, haha! Mornings can be so crazy and moody, I love the idea of a portable breakfast.
Trisha says
Preach. Mornings are pure craziness. This week I’m filling in & actually working a full five days at the office. I’m so glad today is Thursday because I’m honestly so exhausted by the time I get to work, that I’m struggling to make it through the day. My husband leaves at 5am everyday so I don’t get any more help from him and my little guys’ are super unpredictable on the wake up time so I can honestly never predict how my morning will go, other than chaotically!
Nina says
Courtney — Have you given any thought about putting your sponsorship/ad disclaimers at the top of your posts? I like to skip posts (not just from your blog, but in general!) that are peddling products, so I was wondering if you might consider this. I’ve noticed that I’ve gotten roped into reading a lot of posts lately without knowing there’s sponsored content until I get to the halfway point of the post. I also believe that the FTC considers obvious disclosures (not ones hidden at the very end of the post) a good practice. Thanks for keeping an open mind!
Courtney says
Hi Nina! Always appreciate reader feedback, so thank you. If you’re a regular reader then you probably know that I almost always try to place something at the top of my posts pointing out that it contains sponsored content. In some cases, campaigns will have very specific guidelines on where a disclosure should be placed (for this post, it was required at the very end of the post). That said, I would usually still place something at the top but I overlooked it on this one. It is never my intention to try and “rope” someone in to reading one of my posts by hiding sponsored content, so I’m sorry if you feel that way. I will continue to share only products/brands that my family and I genuinely enjoy. Thanks again for reading!
Shaqueefa says
U too busy to read any sponsored content? Get outta here gurl. I’ve had it wiff dis.
Katie says
Mornings are pure insanity at our house too, and I agree – it doesn’t matter how early I get up or how much I plan ahead. Kids are unpredictable in that way! I feel like I’ve lived a full day by the time I sit down at my desk.
Shaqueefa says
One time I was late tah work cuz i axidentally packed my kitty in my lunch bag. Oops!
Katie @ Live Half Full says
I’m always looking for new breakfast ideas- would love to see your evening routine as well at some point!
KatieJ says
I definitely could have written this. I am jealous your husband takes your little one, though! I am stuck with both kids by myself, and by the time it is time to go, my 7 month old is ready for his first nap! Then, my two year old pretends he hates school (he loves it) and makes me chase him around the house. Some mornings we end up in a pile on the living room floor with everyone in tears. I hear you on the CHAOS.
Monika says
Hehe we have matching lunch boxes ;)