They basically stop to play with every toy along our path out of the daycare, which can sometimes take a little while. At the end of the day, I'm not usually in a big hurry to leave, unless I've got something in the oven (rare). But in the mornings, it can be a bit of a challenge, especially if we're running late. I usually try to prime them in the car beforehand, which usually works. Okay, Mommy has to go to school too, so we have to hurry like firefighters today, okay?

In the photo on the right, the boys are each trying to squeeze between the trees. The other two photos show them driving the ride-ons in the courtyard, and then pushing the corn poppers every which way, while I'm standing there with two lunchboxes, two backpacks and a large bag of wet/dirty clothing and a stack of artwork, saying Okay boys, time to park the poppers please. Time to go home for bath and dinner!

It's amazing that parents of toddlers can get anywhere on time. Depending on what time everyone gets up in the morning, it can be pretty tough to keep on schedule. Someone always needs a diaper change or a visit to the potty right as we're putting on our shoes to get out the door. It's really impossible to rush them, unless we're prepared for some sort of meltdown. I guess this is why our alarm is set for 5:45am on weekdays (depends on what rotation I am on). It's much easier to help the boys get ready for school if the lunches are made and everything is ready to go before they get up (which ranges from 5:45 to 7am, but usually happens around 6:30am).

Tags: M, A, daycare