The Routine

Every school day morning we have a routine. When this routine if followed we have a nice morning filled with pleasant people. When we deviate from the routine chaos is what's for breakfast. So we are well past 100 days of school, I know this because that is cause for celebration these days. And yet every morning my two dear, intelligent daughters come to me...always in the shower...and ask..."May we play the computer?" and every day for at least 100 days I say..."Are you ready for school?" and every day for at least 100 days the reply is, "No." Their grades and their teachers assure me they are not in fact retarded, so why this part of the daily routine. Many of you are probably asking why they get to play computer at all before school and I am sure this question comes from those of you whose children sleep past dawn. After they are ready for school, I allow them to play because they get ready so much faster!! Here is another curious thing...why leave out one item of the routine just to see if I'll mind. Today it was teeth brushing, you see i have to go through the list of things we do EVERYDAY so they can't come back with...Oh I didn't know I needed to brush my hair...or When did we start wearing pants to school??? Now we have a timer so i know it takes exactly 2 minutes to brush ones teeth. They could be done by the time they try to convince me that they will do right after they are done with the computer and tell me that this is the day they will remember, unlike all of the others. I guess I will just have to realize that from this day until they have their own children (I don't think it kicks in before that) I will just have to be the one that has the daily ticker of the everyday routine!