A Truthful Morning Routine

None of my family are morning people.  We love waking up surrounded by a warm duvet and don't ever want to leave.  But one of us has to get up first so everyone else can and get where they need to be on time.  School buses and work trains wait for no one.

As the person who has to get up first is me, here are a few things I do to try and make mornings bearable. Some of them are working a treat. Others not so much.  

Here are the shiny, new habits aka the theory:

• Get those forty winks.  Orinoco Womble is right.  You feel much better after forty winks so I try to get to bed on time.    

• Set it all up the night before.  I pack my bag for the next day, get my clothes out, pack my lunch (usually left overs from last night's dinner) etc.  I can get straight out of bed, wash and get myself dressed before getting the Tubblet up and making breakfast.  

• Set the alarm.  I need to wake up slowly so the alarm goes twenty minutes before I drag myself out of bed.  You may be one of those people who can get up straight away and get on.  (How?! Seriously, I need to know).  We start the day with Radio Two.  Chris Evan's relentless cheerfulness is just the thing.  He also has landmarks to help us keep to time.  I need to be out of the shower and the Tubblet needs to be in when they're doing the sport at 6:55am otherwise it's a rush. We need to be leaving as the kids start talking about their first times at 7:30am.  

• A cup of tea and toast.  Eat something.  I've never understood the whole not having breakfast thing.  I wait until work to grab a coffee.  

And here's how it works in practice.  The reality:

• 5:55am.  The alarm goes off.  Wakey, wakey.  Hold to duvet and snuggle down for one last snooze.  Muffy may, depending on his mood, arrive upstairs before the alarm goes off to let me know he's hungry and ready for breakfast now.  Like now.  He has a loud meow and gets right in my face.  

• 6:15am.  Now for it, up and at them.  Unless I have caved already and fed the cat.  Grab clothes, stick feet in slippers and go to bathroom for shower.    Bang on Tubblet's door.  Wash, dress and bang on Tubblet's door again.  Apply skincare, dry hair if washed, put make up on. Bang on Tubblet's door.  Depending on the response, I may have to go in there ...

• 6:45am.  Tubblet emerges, goes to bathroom and has shower.  Comes out and goes to get dressed.

• 7:00am.  Make breakfast for me and the Tubblet.  Do yoga while waiting for the kettle to boil and the toaster to pop.  I have a five minute routine.  I try and do more when Rev T is safely out of the house and at weekends.  

• 7:05am.  Wonder what the Tubblet is doing.  Ask.  Loudly.  Tubblet appears, turns TV on and  we eat breakfast.

• 7:20am.  Run upstairs, clean teeth, apply lipstick and rush downstairs again.  Grab coat, handbag and lunch-bag.  Shout for Tubblet.  We don't want to miss the bus.

• 7:30am.  Phone alarm goes off.  Blooming tweeting birds.  Shout for Tubblet, we really must leave now.  Say goodbye to Rev T.  As he works from home, he doesn't have to get up yet.  (Not jealous.  Not at all).  Emerge from house. Complain about weather.  After leaving the house, the Tubblet does not know who I am.  

• 7:31am.  Walk very quickly to bus stop.  Arrive feeling slightly sweaty, but fortunately, not out of breath.  Yoga and lunch-time walks are obviously working.  If we've timed it right, the bus will arrive shortly afterwards.  If we're unlucky, the bus will sail past us when we're too far down the road to run and catch it.  We'll have to wait until the next one.

• 7:40am.  Get on bus.  Hopefully get a seat.  Tubblet heads upstairs.  I won't see her now until I get home after work.

• 7:50am - 8am.  Arrive at station.  The length of the bus journey depends on the traffic.  Get off bus and walk to station.  Get on fast or semi-fast train.  No chance of getting a seat on the fast train but almost a certainty on the semi-fast.  

• 8:30am-ish.  Get off train and walk to office.  Grab coffee.  Bask in awesomeness and feeling of accomplishment.  Log onto PC.  Look at emails.  Drink coffee.  Let the day begin ... Drink more coffee.

What's your morning routine?