Mornings

Mornings can be rough for anyone.  Now add 6 kids ages 1-9 to the equation and you have barely controlled chaos.

This particular morning I am operating on roughly 4 hours of broken sleep thanks to a lovely little cough I have.  Do the kids care that Mom only had 4 hours of sleep?  No.

This morning was also a shower morning.  My kids shower every other day if it isn't summer and they are not particularly stinky.  Shower mornings can go one of two ways.  The first is they all take turns and the showers are of an appropriate length of time.  The second is they scream, cry, and fight each other to go first then just stand under the water until I yell from across the house after a good 15 mins "ARE YOU DONE YET fill in child's name??"  the response to which is always "I still need to use the soap!" translation being "I have been standing under the warm water in order to ensure that my siblings shower will be icy cold and they will be awful and whining for the rest of the morning, and I have not even washed my body or my hair so I am going to be at least another 10 mins."  If you couldn't guess this morning was the second way.

Lanae is a morning person.  She was skipping about and sickeningly cheerful.

Alana was not in a good mood this morning.  I am not sure why... it could have been that she wanted to go first in the shower but that honor was bestowed upon Savana, or it could have been that since Savana was first in the shower she "stole" what Alana was going to wear.  Did Savana know she was putting on what her sister was planning on wearing today? nope.  But that didn't matter to Alana.  Alana screamed and cried and Savana tried to appease her by giving up the outfit but alas it was not good enough for now it was... damp.  Yep Savana got the shirt damp from her hair and now the shirt was surely ruined!!!!  Screaming and crying Alana came to me and explained the gross injustice that had occurred and that she now had NOTHING to wear I told her to go back to her room and just put something on and I did not care what she wore but could not attend school in her panties.  I was answered with more cries of how unfair her 7 year old life was but she did relent and get dressed.

Back to Lanae.  She is something else entirely.  I have not figured out exactly what she is but as I have said before she fancies herself a purple vampire princess mermaid that can change into anything.  She just could not pass up an opportunity to use her chipperness in some very dark and vampirelike fashion so she sang to Alana her ABC's.  For some reason Alana did not appreciate the 5 year olds off key and obscenely loud version of the song and yelled "STOP SINGING!" covered her ears and "UNGGGHHHHED" in order to drown her out. 

Lanae, being unscathed by her sisters reaction, skipped back up to me and asked "What's wrong with Alana?" 

My reply "Alana is in a bad mood this morning it is probably best to leave her alone."

 Lanae "I don't think she likes my singing..."

 My reply "Your singing is lovely sweetie" 

Lanae "I sang the ABC's just perfect, I'm very smart mom." 

My reply "Yes you are very smart honey." 

Lanae  "Maybe we should just get rid of Alana." *giggle* skip out of the room. 

My reply *blink blink* "uhhhh" *uncomfortable laugh followed by my silence as I listened to Lanae skip back up to Alana and start singing her ABC's.