Routine

Mornings are for me.  Seems like the older I get, the earlier I rise.  My alarm goes off at 4:15 a.m. and it’s the beginning of the best part of my day.  The first two hours are reserved for me and I love it.  I brush my teeth, put on my workout clothes, grab a banana and head out the door to workout.  On my 20 minute drive to Crossfit (or run with my sister), I listen to the NPR morning show and get caught up on daily news.  

I finish up my workout around 6:15 a.m. and head home, ready to take on the day.   By the time I get home, Ava is usually awake—she’s a morning girl, just like her mom.    Before I head downstairs to prepare breakfast for Ava (usually apple juice, toast and/or Grapenuts these days), I jump in the shower then put my PJ’s back on and begin getting my hair and makeup on for the day. 

Ava enjoys eating in our room and watching her morning show, typically Nick Jr. or Disney Jr., while Matt and I get ready.  Carson wakes up chatting for about a half hour or so before I need to go get him.  He wakes anytime between 7:15-8 a.m.  Happy and hungry, Carson and I head downstairs to eat our breakfast (he usually has oatmeal or toast with yogurt and fruit, his favorite). We finish breakfast and head back upstairs to get dressed for the day.

Ava loves picking out her own outfit and I happily oblige, reminding myself of how this builds her confidence.  I help motivate Ava to get dressed, brush her teeth and take her vitamins.  Finally, I fix her hair before she is allowed to plop herself back in front of the TV.

In the final minutes before our 8:45 a.m. departure, I am racing around getting Carson and I dressed and Ava’s school snack packed.  We all load in the car and head down the hill to have Ava to school by 9 a.m.  After dropping Ava off from school, I enjoy some alone time with Carson.  Often times we grab a cup of coffee and run some errands together. 

If there were one thing I’d like to change about my morning routine, it would be to have a couple early mornings a week to myself and stay home instead of going to the gym. I want to turn on the fireplace, make a cup of coffee, grab my book or computer at the early hour of 4:15 a.m. and enjoy quiet alone time reading and/or writing.