Eli's (well, mine too) morning routine

Cheese sticks.

This one needs explaining.

It's becoming somewhat of a predictable thing.  I wake up at 7:00.  That is as early as I can possibly peel myself out of bed.  I make sure Violet and Calvin are dressed for school, fed, teeth brushed, backpacks in the van, shoes on, hair brushed, etc...and Dave comes downstairs at 7:35 am in time to whisk them off to school.  Eli is always awake for the morning rush and it is a battle to keep him out of V and C's way and keep him from being destructive.  He's a stinker.  He has his cereal at 7:15 am too.

Three days a week Vanessa has preschool at OHCP at 9:00.  Sometimes she sleeps through the hustle and bustle of V and C leaving.  Sometimes she's awake. But most of the time she makes a groggy appearance about 8:15 and wants to eat.  Dave and I have breakfast then too.  So she has breakfast, and in no time, it is 8:40 am and I am taking Vanessa to preschool.  

Then I get home, and I have some time to get ready for the day.  Eli watches a TV show (usually Thomas, or Daniel Tiger, or Curious George)...and I go upstairs.  And now comes the explanation of the cheese sticks.  By this time it is about 2 hrs after he's had breakfast and he decides it is time for a morning snack.  He can reach the drawer in the fridge where the cheese sticks are, and he takes one out and brings it up to the bathroom so I can help him peel off the wrapper.  He's gotten 2, sometimes 3 and eats them all.  I snapped this pic and wanted to remember his raiding-of-the-cheese-drawer in the mornings.

Recently I scheduled an eye check up appointment for me in September.  I realized Eli would be in preK on Tuesday/Thursday mornings so I scheduled my appointment for a Tuesday morning.  Knowing I could go off to my appointment BY. MYSELF. was quite a thought.  Weeee!!