Little Tornados and other Morning Rituals

I love these first few hours of the morning. They're so productive, all full of getting things situated and in order. 

The kids are awake and happily rattling of lists of things they forgot to tell me earlier. "Mom, I need $5 so I can eat at the choir Metro Fest today" and "I'll also need a check for $10 so I can buy a Pink Out shirt." These days, most of the things I hear from the kids are money requests, but I'll take whatever communication I can get. Though it's not much, I get just enough information to know the important things like there will be a tie-breaker playoff in the trombone section of band today, and there's a football game that's been rescheduled for somewhere and sometime tonight. I also picked up on the fact that my daughter felt she was having a bad hair day, and my son's knee is feeling better than it was yesterday. 

All this information was collected in a matter of ten minutes this morning!  Then they're off, like little tornados swirling around just long enough to stir things up before they move on to a new target (Let's take a moment to thank the teachers of the world.)

Then I'm left with peace and a very hefty to-do list.

As I walk back up the lane from the bus stop, a corn field on each side of me, I contemplate what tasks are at the top of my list. This is where I struggle; everything seems so important, but I settle on a few things.

1. The grass must will be mowed (There's a good 4 hours gone).
2. All bedding must will be washed.
3. The bathrooms must will be cleaned.

The basic daily chores have been done already. It seems I can't enjoy my own breakfast until I've taken care of the cats, dogs, chickens and horses first. They've all been fed, and the mums and other flowers have all been watered. The washer and dryer are humming busily, and the sink and dishwasher have been emptied. The trash has been taken out....the garage swept...the main floor vacuumed.

So here I sit with my cup of coffee and words streaming out of my head. This isn't a way of stalling; it's a morning ritual. If I don't get my coffee in and my words out, I can't continue my productivity. I'm not apologizing. I like it this way.

What are your morning rituals?

Sharon