I learned some very important lessons from my Aunt Joanie when I was younger.
She had a routine that she stuck to every night. EVERY. NIGHT. She'd carefully pin her hair back so that curls were just right for the next day. She would pull it back from her face to begin her very specific skincare regimen next. I can't remember just how long it took, but I think 30 minutes at least of rubbing small circles of cleanser, then small circles of PONDS. Only could be PONDS, to ensure the wrinkles stayed away. To this day, her hard work and efforts of sticking to this routine have paid off. She has the most beautiful skin of any woman I have ever met. And looks nothing like her age. She's an inspiration.
She also was a bit superstitious. Maybe not just a bit. A whole lotta bit. She believed in them all, the magic of birthday numbers for her lotto picks (Which she has yet to hit), splitting poles, stepping on cracks, and salt over shoulder. If one sneezes, she responds, "God bless you, it's true." Meaning whatever it is you/whoever was talking had just been talking about, it is obviously true because a sneeze happened. She hates birds and believes they are unlucky, so she cuts them out of birthday cards and pictures she likes. Once you leave the house, you must reenter the house through the same door. If by chance you leave the house and have forgotten something and must go back inside to get it, you have to sit down in a chair and count to ten. I couldn't remember all of these but her son and my brother reminded me of a few. She's a riot.
Man, I love my Aunt Joanie.
I have picked up a love for routine like she has, and even a bit of the superstition.
I realized again just much how I love routines this morning. It requires effort with little kids, but it is oh so important.
I have worked hard to instill in my children the need for routine to help our mornings go smooth, and today it was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
All kids followed these steps without reminding, complaint, or whining.
1. Wake up, make bed, say individual morning prayers
2. Pack your lunch, mostly healthy, 1 snack
3. Get breakfast and clean it up
4. Brush your teeth, rinse out the sink, clean off counters
5. Get dressed - Jocelyn had even laid out her clothes like her big sister does on her floor to check for approval
6. Hair done, hair basket put back
7. Backpack and jackets packed
And then if time permits,
8. Play
9. Lights off, doors shut
10. Family prayer
I must give my oldest lots of credit for this morning's overall ease. She was a huge help. She willingly packed everybody's lunches for the most part, but involved Jack and Jocelyn in the process. She got the water bottles ready, even though that is Jack's job. (She is working on the Christlike attribute of obedience, and it is wonderful.) Jack and Jocelyn both thanked Afton for her efforts and she responded back kindly, even with a smile. There was no fighting over anything, no screaming over who was standing next to who while brushing teeth, no screaming while I did hair, no complaining about having to actually put on a jacket in 40 degree weather. It was glorious.
Because they stuck so well to the routine, they even had time to play.
Now, I realize that I probably have jinxed my morning tomorrow, and possibly even my mornings for the rest of the 2017-2018 school year by talking about it. But it was just such a great morning that I wanted to have it documented.
Am I being superstitious?
Maybe. But, we will just have to see how tomorrow morning goes and whether or not they stick to the routine.
Remember this post I wrote a while back about morning routines complete with laminated papers and everything? Oh, I do.
