Allison's Journal- Getting Ready for School in the Morning

This year mornings are really interesting around our house. Mom says it is like herding cats. LOL It is a madhouse for sure.

You see this is the first year that our little sister, Izzy is walking to school with us. She is in first grade this year. Our small school didn't have a kindergarten class last year so mom had to drive her to school. That school started about a half hour later than we did so it was a little calmer.

On top of getting all 4 of us ready at the same time in the mornings, Jeremy and his little sister Maria, are also staying with us n3 nights a week. Their mom just got a new job, she now works nights at the hospital. She is a nurse and takes care of sick babies. She loves her new job but she was so worried about who was going to watch Jeremy and Maria. Then mom told her they are over here as much as they are home so they might as well stay here. Everyone seems to be loving the new arrangement even it can be chaotic some mornings.

We have been getting up and getting off to school for about a week now so we do have a routine worked out. Let me walk you through a typical morning.

Maria stand still so I can brush your hair.

First both Chelsea and I get up and get ready. Then we have the younger girls come to our rooms so we can make sure they are dressed and ready to go. Chelsea usually has to brush Maria's hair, she has a lot of trouble getting it done by herself. Mostly I just have to check that Izzy is wearing school clothes instead of play clothes and that everything goes together. One day last week she almost left with shoes that didn't match! That was when Chelsea and I told mom we would take over making sure they were ready.

Izzy I like the outfit you picked out today. 

The boys are really good at getting going on their own (once mom gets them to get out of bed)

Once mom knows that we are getting ready she gets our breakfast out and packs lunches if any of us are taking a lunch that day. Today we are all getting lunches at school.

We all meet in the kitchen for breakfast. Mom usually puts out a couple of choices then while we eat she can go check her email before she has to get her day started.

Looks like some good things to choose from this morning.

Could I have some hot chocolate???  Please.

Once we have eaten Michael and Jeremy are in charge of making sure everything is put away and the dirty dishes are in the dishwasher. They always complain but they do get it done.

I still need to put this cereal away. 

How much soap did mom say to put in?

Next Chelsea and I make sure everyone has everything before we head out. Mom usually has us leave our backpacks in the family room so they are easy to grab on the way out the door.

I need to get my folders than I'll be ready to go. 

I like to do one more quick check before we step off the front porch that everyone did pick up all the things they need that morning.

Michael did you remember to get your homework?

I think we're ready to go. 

Izzy and Maria don't run ahead! We all have to stay together. 

Then we start our walk. It is about a three-fourths of a mile to school and we walk both ways. Mom sometimes drives us but only if the weather is really bad.

The view from the front porch, it's a beautiful day!

The first couple of days the little girls had a little trouble with the long walk but by last Thursday they were just fine. I actually missed the walk over the summer. I like to see what is going on around us.

Today the temperature is a little on the cool side but we will be nice and warm once we start walking.

I love to watch the seasons change through the school year. The leaves should be starting to change their colors soon. I saw there were some apples on the trees but they aren't ripe yet.

One of our neighbor's cows left its calf sleeping by the fence along our road. We all stopped for a moment to look at it but we didn't disturb it. We didn't want the mama cow to get upset with us.