Pulling teeth

I hate getting my kids ready for school in the morning! AAAHHHH! Lindsay is the worst! I love that child, but in the morning, AARG! Not to say that Abbey doesn't have her moments, usually she doesn't need much prompting. Oh boy, not Lindsay. It takes her almost 30 min to wake up and eat her breakfast...that's it. The tv is not on. The radio is not on. There aren't any fun puzzles on the back of cereal boxes for her to get lost in. I have to tell her to put a spoon of food in her mouth every two minutes.

Lindsay is constantly singing too. Sometimes it's a song she heard on the radio, mostly it's little songs she makes up. I love this about her, but it impedes the morning routine quite a bit. She will stare off into space and think about how her song is sounding or should sound. The singing doesn't even stop with the brushing of the teeth. In fact, that's how I know that she's stopped brushing, the singing starts up.

No punishment, threat, bribe, plan, or pleading can get this child ready in the morning. Some mornings I just grab her and hug her. I look her strait in the eye and say, "Please! I beg you, just brush your hair." Anything can be inserted in the request line actually.

If Jeff gets the girls ready in the morning, he needs a check list for them. You might think this unnecessary, but let me tell you a few of the items. These are all things that Jeff has missed. {p.s. Jeff was very grateful for the list and it was his request to have it.}

Lindsay's List:
Brushes her hair {it's a mass of rats and fluffs in the morning, I don't know how she sleeps at night to achieve it}

Wears a shirt that is not
a. tank top
b. dirty
c. two sizes too small {she pulls them out of donation bags and hides them. She finds it hard to let go of things she loves}

Wears pants that are not
a. from yesterday
b. dirty {usually this goes hand in hand with yesterday, but not always}
c. two sizes too small {she has a thing for high waters}

Wears underwear, you have to check. {she hates underwear. always has}

Puts her homework in her backpack, not on her wall, garbage, bathroom, washing machine, or taped to a window. {she likes to tape random things up in random places}

Wears clean socks that fit and match.

Brushes her teeth with her own toothbrush {she likes to use Abbey's. I am certain this is part of some ongoing plot of revenge she has. All I know is, it makes Abbey very upset and can start a fight.}

There's more to the list. I just wanted to share some of the more ridiculous and silly parts. All very necessary I can assure you. Ahh, I just needed to vent. I feel a lot better now. Do any of your kids have weird stuff on their proverbial lists? Maybe I'm just special to have the challenge and blessing of a Lindsay.