Last night, I set my alarm for 6:30am.

I’ve done this before. I set an alarm with every intention of getting out of bed and having a slow morning, even if just a few minutes, to myself. Coffee, reading, maybe a little yoga or stretching. Easing into the day before everything really starts in earnest.

But almost every time, I hit snooze until it’s the absolute last possible minute for me to get up and start the day for myself and both my girls.

And it’s chaos. No one is happy. Everyone always feels a little rushed. It just sets us up for a weird (if not completely shitty) day.

I actually managed to get out of bed at 6:35am today.

I stretched my body for a few minutes. I poured my coffee. I read my book (I’m deep in the thick of a 1000 page novel for book club and I’m so far behind). Then the sounds of morning started…but it was slow and quiet.

One daughter woke up all on her own, came downstairs fully dressed (well, mostly. Socks are always a struggle around here), and walked over to snuggle before asking me for the most ridiculous weekday breakfast (absolutely not. I’m a toast/cereal/frozen waffles/yogurt-in-the-morning mom). She settled for frozen blueberry waffles (which I toasted. I’m not a monster) for her while I went upstairs to rouse the eldest. She’s my easy one to wake. Simply walk in, announce that it’s wakey-wakey time, and she’s up! Her hair was cah-RAZY this morning which always makes me giggle.

And then the morning just went about itself with the simplicity I’m always hoping for. I even got the youngest to bring her laundry down and get it in the washer! What?!

By the time they needed to get off to school, we were already outside on the porch, me with my coffee, them with their scooters, just chit-chatting before they started making their way up the street.

It turns out, if I’m not stressed out and chaotic in the morning, they’re not stressed out and chaotic (and almost always crying or crabby or just icky) in the morning.

Weird.