My alarm goes of and I stumble groggily into the shower. I come out desperate for coffee and determined to make myself proud today. I am going to GET THINGS DONE, I am going to keep my temper, I am going to have a good day with good children, I am going to do it all with grace. Well I am going to get there one day.....In the mean time lets just try to do better than yesterday!
I wake the kids gently with a nursery rhyme I once heard had positive effects on waking up positive..."Good morning, good morning, good morning to you". Travis was already awake and playing in his room, but we keep to the routine. He looks up at me and smiles. My heart sings with love and hope for a better day. "Time for breakfast Travis, I'll go wake Emy". I head into Emy's room to wake her. She is asleep in the cot (having decided to take her nappy off and wee in the other beds yesterday - and the mattress' still drying last night from their resulting wash and disinfecting) - with her nappy off. I groan thinking about having to wash another set of sheets instead of getting things on my list done. To my surprise, the bed is dry - she has not wee'd. I am grinning as I sing "Good morning, good morning, good morning to you." Emy flicks her eyes open slowly and upon seeing me she groggily gets to her feet and starts laughing. "Ok Emy, time for breakfast". A quick nappy change and I plop her happily into her high chair at the breakfast bar.
And here is where it turns every morning. Travis is not at his seat. He has to be called 2ce to come to the bench and threatened with a toy removal. He eventually comes and I take a deep calming breathe and paste a smile on my face. "There you are Travis - it's nice to see you". He grunts in reply. Another deep breath "OK time for breakfast". I put the kettle on and get out our bowls, spoons & cups.
Emy happily babbles to Travis until Travis starts swinging on the chair. "Travis, stop that! You'll break the chair and fall over" I throw over my shoulder as I pull the weetbix out of the cupboard. Chaos erupts: "I don't want yucky weetbix" "Emy is hitting me" Emy screams. "Stop hitting Emy" " But you love weetbix""Emy! Stop it!" "Stop swinging on your chair" "Don't spit!".
Some where along there I get breakfast served and the kids start to eat and I make my coffee. Before my first sip tho the chaos stops me and I loose my patience. "Eat your breakfast" "Leave your sister alone" "Emy, cut it out" "Don't throw your food" "Put that in your mouth" "Get back in your seat and finish your breakfast"
Toy removal, being sent to their room, all sorts of different breakfast cereals, time out routines, "nigh nighs", smacks & distraction techniques haven't improved this time of day at all. By the time breakfast has been eaten its an hour later and both the kids are wearing some of their food (sometimes I am too!) - as is the floor and the kitchen bench - I estimate a 70% maybe made it into their tummies.
They get down and head into the playroom laughing. I am stressed and angry and frustrated and barely holding on.
The rest of the day can either go downhill or up from here. Which ever it may be - my coffee is cold and I sigh as I go make another one while chanting "OK that's done. There's still time to make myself proud today. I am still going to GET THINGS DONE, I am going to keep my temper, I can still have a good day with good children and I am going to do it all with grace." *Sigh* "OK. Coffee first, then get them dressed then.... mutter mutter mutter"....
1 comment:
I so relate to being covered in food....It is a very regular occurance that I turn up to daycare and think 'Oh god, she cant go in like that!' and quickly scrabble for a wipe because Ava is covered in food, boogies, something!
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