I used to Love mornings

by Carlos

Raising three kids that were all under the age of three was daunting. Being a Hawai`i boy in the middle of snow with an infant and two toddlers was grueling. Grocery shopping with three girls took a lot of practice. But through every stage of this job, the Lord has brought me through it. I suffered a lot through it, but none of it lasted for long. I wish I didn't stress out so much while I was going through it, but that's just the way I am, I suppose.
So, I see that I am now in a new stage. This challenge has me worried again. But I can look back and see that it won't last forever. This new challenge is the morning routine. I wake up at 6am and try to get two of my girls ready for school and my third to tag a long. We have until 7:45 to get out of the house, but we almost never make it.
My mornings these days are more stressful than I'd like. In fact, next to dinner, it's the most stressful part of my day. On the bright side, I don't have to be at some job at 7:30 that I had to commute an hour to be there. Now, that's a nice thought.
I really don't know how we don't make it to school on time. My 4-year old, my 3-year old, and my 2-year old can all use the potty, brush their teeth, and get dressed by themselves. But I guess that's only in theory.
What really happens is; Ana, my youngest, gets up and follows me around as I shave and make breakfast. Then, I go to wake up Lani and Damai, but Lani has found herself in the playroom (when they know I said no playroom before school!) and Damai is not sleeping, but like some teenager after a night of partying, she won't open her eyes. I encourage her to get up, then I turn on the lights, then I take her blanket, and finally I pull her out of bed. EVERY morning.
Lani starts crying because she can't play in the play room and I have to pick her up and bring her to the bathroom. After she pees, she calls out to me to wipe her. Then I get crazy because I know she can do it herself. Why did she call herself a big girl because she could use the potty by herself and still ask me to help her use the potty?? I really don't get it.
Ana is now at the sink putting toothpaste on the toothbrush, then she puts the toothbrush in her mouth, then she puts more toothpaste on her toothbrush. When I take the toothpaste away, she cries because there's this tiny space on her toothbrush which she begs to cover with toothpaste. The brand new tube of toothpaste is wasting away down the drain or dribbling down her mouth on to her pajamas.
Now, she's upset because her pajamas are wet and pasty.
Now, I'm upset.
Damai is out of bed and on the floor at the bathroom door saying that she's tired. She has her blanket and is whining. Lani is off the potty and upset because she can't get to the sink with Ana on the stepping stool.
This part is critical. Ana is done brushing her teeth and can get dressed. Lani is ready to move to the sink. I just need to get Damai on the toilet and they're all at different stations. No hold ups. But my system is crashing.
Damai won't get up from in front of the door. Ana is yelling that her "pee pee is coming out". Damn! I forgot to put her on the potty before Lani. I hand Lani her toothbrush, fully loaded, but she says she's gotta wash her hands after using the potty. I wiped her! I had to wash my hands.
My system has crashed, time is ticking away and I can feel it in my temples. This is where I blow my stack.
Damai quickly gets on the potty. Ana runs out of the bathroom, but the wrong way. I'll have to chase her down. Lani takes advantage of the step and washes her hands.
Now, it's changing time. Today, I wasn't quick enough. I didn't grab the clothes I set out the night before and put them outside the bathroom. So, we have to go to their room. I show Ana her clothes, but she wiggles away from my grasp, jumps on her bed and says she wants to wear a dress instead. It's too cold outside, in fact it's too cold inside! to wear a dress.
Lani comes in and begins jumping on the bed too. "Everyone off the bed!" Lani's easier, so I take her shirt off and put the school shirt on the crown of her head. She can do the rest. I pull her pajama pants off a little, so she gets the clue to take them off. Then, I hand her the shorts and grab Ana.
I do the same with Ana, but when I put Ana's shirt on the crown of her head, she begins to run around the house making ghost noises. How did she escape?
Lani is done and Damai walks in. I have two choices now. I can chase after Ana and put her clothes on before she catches a cold or I can get Dami dressed. If I leave, Damai will get back into bed and we'll never get to school. Lani runs back in as I'm thinking this and tells me that Ana is not dressed. Lani leaves after I tell her that I'll get to it. I get Damai dressed and out.
In the hallway Ana is crouched on the ground with her shirt still around her head saying loudly, "I'm hiding, you can't find me!"
Now Damai is yelling at Lani, because she found Lani in the play room playing with her doll.
I won't even say how breakfast goes.
I've switched up the routine, played with different wake up times, made different breakfasts, and I even gave them tasks to complete (like pack their backpacks, feed the fish, or set the table). But I always end up doing every little thing for them and we still don't get to school on time. The thing I'm most worried about is when Ana goes to school next year, I might start substitute teaching, but how will I ever get to work on time if I can't get the kids to school on time?
I wish I could say that I have faith that everything will work out, but I really get worried. That makes mornings even more stressful.
But I can say this much; in the last 4 years, there's always these kind of stages that I have to go through as the kids get older. And the Lord always brings me through alive. So this is just one more stage. I can't wait to see how He does this one.