The timing is rarely a problem for James. He's dressed and upstairs, usually a few minutes before 6:00! James often wants to take a home lunch to school. I'm opposed to home lunches for (at least) three reasons. First, I can't put together a decent lunch for $1.35. Second, while school lunch may not have the greatest reputation, I do think it's healthier than what we can cobble together at home. Plus, with all the fresh fruit and vegetable choices offered each day, if the kids make good choices, it's really not a bad meal. Third, making lunches the night before or the morning of is just not something I'm willing to do. So, James and I made a deal. If he tells me what he wants in his home lunch, I'll buy the stuff. Then, it's his responsibility to get it together in the morning. If he doesn't tell me what he wants, he chooses from the stuff we've got on hand. One day he took crackers, two pieces of bread and $0.40 for milk. He was happy. It was something I could live with. The thing I do really like about the arrangement is that James takes the responsibility on himself. He's a good kid.
Robert is usually the next to wake up, usually around 6:45 or 7:00. If it's a school day for him (M/W/F), we encourage him to get dressed, something he can easily handle by himself, but also something that can take a while. I have yet to figure out exactly why it takes him such a long time to get dressed. When I peak in the room, he's usually on task at some stage of the process, but also talking to himself and striking odd poses for several seconds at a time. He's a funny kid.
Kate, well, we usually have to wake her up, which we do around 7:45/8:00. Kate is not a morning person. It's a tough job to get her to get herself dressed - or even upstairs for breakfast. She constantly asks someone to get her clothes for her, to help her, not to comb her hair, find her shoes, pour her cereal, and practically to spoon-feed her breakfast! She's a challenge in the mornings (and often in the afternoons, evenings, and on the weekends). I love the nut!
Add to the mix the fact that Ben and I both try to get some exercise in each morning. I leave the house at 6:15 and head to the U for pilates on M/W/F and spin on T/H. As soon as I get home, around 7:30, Ben heads down to the elliptical machine. (Of course, with Ben having several morning meetings, I don't always make it to my classes and he doesn't always get a chance to exercise.) Natalie comes about 7:45 on days Robert has preschool and about 8:00 on the days he doesn't and helps get the pieces that are behind schedule moving along.
Somehow, although often on the late side, we make it out the door - usually with smiles on our faces. James and Kate get dropped off at the top of the trail on 13th Avenue. Then Robert and I head to the University. And that's the way it goes.
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