The Mornings

Ollie wanted to sit by his Sissy all by himself.

 Our morning routine has been flipped on its head since Oliver became potty trained, and not in a completely healthy way.

I used to be able to wake Oliver up at 6:30 am and be out the door by 6:40-6:45.

Then Scarlett was born and since Oliver did not want to get up before his sissy, I got Scarlett up and dressed at 6:20, Oliver at 6:30 and I was out the door by 6:45.

That was the glory of diapers. No waiting, no asking, no nagging. Just put it on and go. If there was pee to be peed or poop to be pooped then it could be done anytime...

Now I have to wake up my sleepy Oliver at 6 to make sure he's gone potty by 6:30 so that we can get dressed and be out by 6:45 all while making sure I get Scarlett ready too.

It was really tough at the beginning bc I learned VERY quickly that you cannot make a toddler pee even if he held it all night and he won't be able to go for another hour when we arrive at daycare....(glad to say he's never had an accident in the car!)

Therefore I had to start using the TV to my advantage....Not too thrilled about it bc I never wanted to be the mom that sat her kids in front of the TV to get stuff done. Now I coax Oliver out of bed at 6 am to the tune of Chugginton and Agent Oso. Both really good shows and I think they're very appropriate for Oliver.

When Ollie was a baby I refused him watching any TV. I did not want him getting used to the fast moving images, the flashing lights, or the brain numbing induced by watching too long. So here I am being a huuuuge hypocrite. I don't intentionally let Scarlett watch, but sometimes I catch her staring and I wonder how long I've let her do so while dealing with Oliver...Makes me kind of sad, but I understand its inevitable at the same time. 2 kids is A LOT different than 1.

Anyway, this brings me to the pictures. :) I sat Scarlett down to play with her toys this morning while I was getting ready. Now that she sits she's not confined to the car seat or the swing while I get myself ready! She was facing towards the TV (my bad, totally didn't do it on purpose!) and Oliver was watching Oso. All of a sudden he said, "Ollie sit with Sissy." So instead of sitting on his couch thrown, he plunked himself right next to her and was giving her toys.

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Ugh, LOVE it. I love the journey of parenting. It has its ups, its downs, its turns, its somersaults. You really never know what each step is going to be like until its over. Each child is so different and one must adapt each situation as it comes. It's interesting and chaotic, exhausting and fulfilling. There is never a moment that I don't want to be a mom. I've learned a great deal about patience and letting things go, as mad as I may get, at the core of it there is nothing else I'd want to be doing (except sleeping, ha!). My kids are my life and I would gladly give up more for them!