Two hours in the life of me: this is how we roll Murray style

     For the many, many people who have asked me, "how do you do it?" this is for you.

550am: Wake up to the sound of youngest son sucking thumb next to my face and dog whining to go out.
550am-553am: Stumble around to find pants, glasses and slippers.
554-6am: Let dog out, make tea for me, coffee for husband and hot chocolate for thumb sucker
601am: Am told thumb sucker only likes marshmallows if we are camping or at a bonfire
602-612am: Make lunches for school goers and work goers, snack for preschooler
613am: Hug the first sleepyhead that shows up in kitchen; she commences sucking thumb and looking like she is asleep while standing up
614am: Begin to make pumpkin pancakes and wrestle with the mess/letting kids learn issue when youngest son asks to pour batter into pan
615am: Clean up spilled batter all over stove
617am: Might hear first rumblings in little girls' room; decide they need to wake up for a few minutes.
618am: Oldest son wakes up and informs me while snuggling against my hip that the most poisonous snake in Australia is not the taipan, as I told him, but the tiger snake.
619am: Wonder if the taipan really is a snake or possibly something else
620am: Begin serving first round of pancakes while listening to many, many snake facts. For instance, a forest cobra can kill an elephant with one bite. Joke that I'm glad I'm not an elephant. Crickets.
620am: cut up three sets of pancakes, pour more maple syrup, get cereal for original pancake requester who has decided he doesn't want pancakes
622am: Get little girls up and strap them immediately in their high chairs.
622-624 am: Listen to one year old loudly request pancakes
625am: microwave tea for the first time and then continue to not drink it
625-630: still making pancakes, wondering if insatiable eight year old has a tapeworm
630-639: change two diapers, scrape them and put them in appropriate pails
640am: decide disposable diaper users care just as  much about the earth but are averse to their homes smelling like poop. Also decide they are much wiser than I.
641am: microwave tea for second time with the really strong intention to actually drink it this time
642am: Encourage those who are done with breakfast to get dressed and brush teeth
643-650am: Practice multiplication flash cards with oldest son
651am: Husband appears and looks so grateful for having slept in. Put his coffee and pancakes on the table
652am: Husband asks where coffee is; I can only point in annoyance
653am: Strongly encourage those done with breakfast to get dressed and brush teeth
654-710am: Bundle up youngest son and self and head outside: collect eggs from chickens, refill their water, throw ball for the dog repeatedly
711am: Inform those done with breakfast that getting dressed and brushing teeth is not an option, but a necessity
712am: Microwave tea for third time and take first sip. Remember how much I love tea
713-715am: sit to eat cereal and blueberries
716am: listen to two oldest children pick their animals (much like fantasy football with teeth and claws)
717am: Drink tea while thinking about own fantasy animal team. I would win if I entered the contest, especially if the taipan is actually a snake
718am: Look up taipan in snakes book and find it. Feel vindicated.
719-730am: Get two little girls dressed
730am: Ask oldest children if they left their pajamas on the floor; they answer in the negative
731am: Based on history, check rooms and find out children might have something wrong with their vision
732am: alert children to clothes on floor situation, hustle them back to their rooms to pick up clothes
739am: Wonder how it's possible that picking up pajamas could take 7 minutes. Decide to investigate.
740am: Remind children of why they came to their rooms when I find them playing with pajamas still on floor.
742-750am: Tell oldest children to pack their backpacks and bundle up for school.
751am: Surprised, again, at the fact that I miss them as soon as they walk out the door
752am: Happy to find half consumed tea on counter. Microwave it again. Ready to start the next segment of my day...