I hate mornings!

I have never ever ever been a morning person.  I think getting up before 10 am is obscene.  I think there is no reason for it.

My employer feels differently.  Ladybug's school feels differently.  So I must control my natural instincts.  I must not get cranky.

Ladybug is doing everything she can to make mornings miserable for me.  She wakes me before the alarm goes off -- and my alarm goes off at 6am.  She must interrupt my shower several times to make sure her clothes match. 

Then she spends a ton of time packing things she doesn't need for the day into her backpack... photos, books, toys, money, etc.  This requires me to unpack her bag.  Which causes us to fight about what should be allowed to go to school.

Then she remembers she needs socks and shoes... which are upstairs.  So she heads back up.

Meanwhile I up dressed... making her lunch... making my lunch... packing my bags.  And yelling at her to come take care of her shit.  Okay -- I don't use the word "shit" -- but I want to.

Then she tells me to stop yelling at her.  But she is not doing what she needs to.  She is not making or eating her breakfast.  She is not finding her jacket.  She is not brushing her teeth.  She is not cleaning her face.  She is not packing her bag with the things she actually needs to have for school.

So I lost it with her on Thursday morning.  She yelled at me to stop telling her to do her things.  I told her I would love to but since she wasn't taking care of her stuff -- what choice did I have?  She made herself breakfast -- 3 cheerios in a bowl full of milk.  She spilled more that 3 cheerios on the floor. 

And then I came up with a plan.  One that would motivate her.  She needed to have a good morning.  She had to take care of her stuff.  She had to stay positive.  She had to not yell at me.  Or she loses the TV for a week. 

NOOOOOOO!  Tears.  Wailing.  But then I reminded her it was in her control.  She wanted her TV -- take care of her stuff (since she had just finished telling me that she knows what she needs to do int he morning).  If she refuses -- no TV.

This morning was a great morning!

Mean Mama