Every school morning four little girls and their mother load in a shiny mini van in hopes to get school on time. They have a specific time they like to be loaded up. Sometimes they make that time. Sometimes its a few minutes later. On a crazy morning its a lot of minutes later. That makes for a hectic drive for sure.
With lunches packed, hair neatly done and uniforms on we take our seats in the car.
Ahhh. Sounds so Mary Poppins like doesn't it? Well, thats just how our lives are. Prompt. Scheduled. And of course tidy and in control.
Yeah right.
I mean, yes we have a goal. Our goal is to be on time for school. But so much goes into a morning drop off.
First, waking up my sleeping princesses.
I have a couple ( my oldest) who have the routine down. They have been doing this for quite sometime and LIKE to be on time. They understand what needs to be done and they do it! A LOT of times while I am picking up the stragglers, they are taking care of the things I should be doing. They are saints for sure.
Now, my precious {L}. She is hit or miss. Mostly miss. Waking this child up...is tricky. If we are lucky, mamas slow and calm and sweet "good morning" whispers are met with a hug and cuddle. Her darling blonde curls smell like heaven and I scoop her up and kiss those little cheeks. Then we choose her uniform for the day, do her hair and get her some breakfast.
But MOST days go like this.
{S} is up and ready by 7. She heads to the kitchen to start lunches if mama didn't start them the night before. She checks her number, gets breakfast, empties the dishwasher if its her turn, gets breakfast started for at least one other sister. Then she cleans her room, While {E} has just woken up. {E} rushes to the bathroom to take her turn. She gets ready, already has her bed made, takes out a trash ( a morning chore for them all) finds me for hair. Then she tells me about her dream that night and heads to the kitchen. Number check, breakfast, dishes, loads her lunch. Then she comes to help another sister. {D} is slowly now up. She makes her bed, chooses her uniform, checks on mom, brushes her teeth, checks on mom, mom reminds her to get a trash, takes it out, checks on mom, mom does her hair. Usually some elaborate because this girl is anything but ordinary :) all the while telling me the thoughts in her mind. Then she asks to wear moms perfume, heads to the kitchen, chats for a bit, gets breakfast, and thats for the rest of her morning. {L}...oh dear. She has TWO patterns. 1. Mom wakes her up at 7. Then again at 7:05. This happens every 5 mins until sometimes 7:25. Finally I BEG her to pick an outfit. I pull her pajamas off while she is crying because she is just so tired. I move each body part for her to get her clothes on. I make her bed while she lays curled with her blanket on the floor trying to get a few more seconds of shut eye. I put her pajamas away. I realize her drawers are disgusting (OCD kicks in...but I MUST ignore it.). I pick her up/walk away headed to the bathroom. Time for hair...this is almost always a struggle. Her gorgeous locks are tangly so I want to put her hair up. She ALWAYS has her own idea...and so do I. And they are never the same...imagine that. At least one ticked off face is made, sometimes by her, sometimes by me. One of us will get our way! Mostly I do. But somedays she does. Low side bun usually is the winner for us both. We head to the kitchen just in time for us to load up. Lunch boxes, filled water bottles, shoes, socks, homework that needs to be signed, breakfast on the run for some and children are all thrown in the car. Seat belt check. Homework check. Shoes socks clothes lunch box water bottle check. Breath check. Allergy meds check. Did we get it all?!! WAIT! We didn't pray. Someone please say a prayer for us.
Phew. Now for the drive.
Talk. Talk talk talk.
15 mins later we arrive at one school ... the carpool lane is the craziest. Trying to keep them in a positive mood and feel loved and happy and stress free rushes out as soon as I open the door and the teachers RUSH my babies out. Oh and then on a very special lucky day, like today, my children actually FIGHT as they are getting out of the car. "Yes my darling, you may take mamas chap stick today. " xoxox smooches loves kiss kiss sweetness i love my babies. Oh wait. A sister thinks she needs to take the chap stick first and use it while little sister is screaming, "STOOOOOOOP!!!" Sister keeps smearing it all over her mouth while little sister is reaching ferociously to stop her from using it! Big sister continues to move anyway her body can to keep little hands from taking it before she gets just the right amount of stick on her lips. All while sister is still screaming stop over and over. And what does mom do? Oh the only thing she CAN do...I HAVE to keep the line moving. How lovely. My adorable children with their perfectly pleated plaid uniform dresses, smoothed up do hair, kissable cheeks and delicious smelling bodies are attacking each other like lion and zebra while all the other parents get to watch. Free show everyone!! Come see the chap stick fighters free of charge this morning only!! woohoo!!
Oh and look! Their mother is driving away. How sweet.
UGH. Are you kidding me? Did thats seriously JUST happen? How mortifying. And how sad. My sweet babies got to go to school with that nasty emotion. The kisses and love and sweet feelings I sent them off with were quickly erased by a D word chap stick. My mommy heart hurt so badly. I wanted to park my car and run to them and give them a new hug and kiss and tell them again to have a good day. But I couldn't. I had another sweetie to get to school on time.
I HAD to tell myself they will figure it out. I HAD to remind myself I can try to make things better for them when they get home. I HAD to let them go in sad. They will HAVE to choose for themselves today to be resilient and find happiness again. BOO!! I DONT like that. At all.
So. Today when I pick them up, I will have a thermos of cold milk and freshly baked cookies for them. Because thats my job. To remind them there is good in each day. When crazy is thrown at us, and the morning doesnt go as planned, our goals aren't met, we can still find happiness. I get to show them I love them. Because after a crazy morning, after a long day at school they get to be wrapped in my arms again. And thats what I do best. 
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