Grandma Wins!

On the three days a week I watch Jonah, Emily will drop both boys off at 7:30 A.M.  At 7:45 A.M., the three of us will walk to Elliott's bus stop.  That means I need a strategic plan for successfully getting through the 15 minutes before Elliott leaves for school. Today was day one.

I set my alarm for 6:35 A.M.  That gave me plenty of time to dress, brush my teeth, make the bed, feed the cat, and eat breakfast.  By 7:10 A.M., I was packing my grandma bag, which includes two phones (land line and iPhone), sunglasses, keys, Jonah's water and morning snack, sunscreen, and laptop.  When the boys arrived, I was all set up in the basement play room.  I had both boys go directly from the front door to the play room where we managed to kill 15 minutes without breakdowns or injuries.  At 7:45 A.M., we exited through the playroom's sliding glass door to the patio where I put Jonah in his stroller.  We then had a leisurely walk to the bus stop, arriving ten minutes before the bus was due.  Success!

Some may find all of the above over planned.  But I've had enough experience watching both boys to know that, without a plan, things can fall apart in the blink of an eye.  It definitely often feels like grandma versus Elliott and Jonah.  Today -- grandma wins!