what do your mornings look like?

Afternoons are a toss-up.

You'll find us

visiting friends,

grocery shopping,

popping in at Grandma and Grandpa's 

{both sets live within 15 minutes of us},

perusing vintage furniture at thrift stores,

playing with trucks and trains,

going to the park,

napping,

folding laundry,

attempting to cook dinner,

etc. etc.

But mornings around here are more consistent.

Here's what our mornings usually look like:

I try hard to read the Bible before Charlie wakes up.

Marty usually leaves for work fairly early.

And then, over the monitor, I hear squawking.

I head down the hall, and find this:

:)

We eat breakfast in the kitchen.

{Note the banana in one hand, momma in the other hand.}

Also, note the little foot, stepping on mine.

It's like he's saying, "Don't go anywhere, Mom. Seriously. Stay RIGHT HERE."

And that is why I don't get much done when my little Charlie is awake. 

Oy vey.

A view from the kitchen window.

{Note to self: next year, plant vegetables you actually enjoy eating.}

On to play time.

Charlie is currently fascinated with our DVD collection.

He pops open the cases and says, "C! D!"

And then spins the DVDs around and says, "WHEEEEEE!"

Next up: 

run time for mom,

scout-out-the-neighborhood time for Charlie.

Thirty minutes of silence, peppered with little boy exclamations:

"Plane!"

"Train!"

"Whoo whoo!"

"Bus!"

"Doggie!"

"Woof!"

Our jog is usually followed by a morning nap for Charlie,

and a l-a-r-g-e cup of coffee for me.

I look at my to-do list, and then run around like crazy.

I shower. I eat breakfast.

I clean up any little mess piles left behind...

I get a bit of proofreading done

{on this particular day, I was working on a Bible atlas.

cool, right?}

As soon as I hear that little voice over the monitor, 

I know I've got maybe five minutes to get ready

before the squawking turns into some serious crabbing.

I try to be totally ready when I go in to get C out of his bed:

We grab some lunch, I throw a diaper in my purse,

and we're out the door!

{Speaking of which...

here's what "out the door" looks like for us.}

Ah.

Yes.

 Our front yard looks {and smells} like a barnyard at the moment.

More on that later... 

:)

So now, I'm curious...

What do your mornings look like?