A day in the life... (part one)

Light streams through the too pale curtains and we stir. J barely registers it, I close my eyes again and roll over, Ben though, lying between us, yawns, stretches and is awake in a heartbeat.
"Mummy I want breakfast".
I glance across at the cot where the actual babies are sleeping peacefully, and try the human equivalent of the snooze button: "Come and give mummy a cuddle, we'll get breakfast in a minute".
Like a snooze button this holds him for about 180 seconds before he starts again, more insistent.
J groans and rolls over.
I convince Ben to be quiet and take him downstairs.
Put the kettle on, register Sam already awake and watching the semi-banned Cartoon Network.
Empty the dishwasher, put bowls on the table and tea in the pot.
Make up packed lunches.
Call children to breakfast, Josiah has joined them in the sitting room.
Ben wants me to guess what he wants for breakfast, I am in no mood for quizzes.
Josiah decides quickly "Weetabix" but when I put them into the bowl and reach for the milk, shouts "No, I don't want weetabix, cheerios. No, shreddies"
Sam finally makes it to the table, I ask six times what he'd like "What is there?". I offer him the choice of cereals, or toast, or a sandwich as I do every morning, the same list, every day.
I ask again what he wants, at the 3rd time of asking he finally responds "I'm deciding!"
"Right!" I say "We don't have time for this, shreddies"
"No! Cheerios. no milk"
"Mummy this isn't my favourite spoon" says Josiah, I find his favourite, it really is much faster than trying to make him accept another, on a school day.
"Ben, where are you going?"
"I need a wee" - what is it with my family, all of them, the moment you put food on the table. "I need a wee now!"
"Well go then" his eye is caught by a toy and he stops to play "GO!"
I pour tea, make up bottles "Ben, are you done?"
"No mummy I'm in the sitting room"
"Why are you in the sitting room?"
"Because the light isn't on in the loo room"
"Well turn it on"
"I can't reach" (He can)
"Yes you can"
"Only on tiptoes"
"Well tiptoe"
"You do it mummy"
"No, Ben hurry up."
I give in and turn it on as I run upstairs with J's tea. He's in the shower.
I gather uniforms into piles and run back down.
"Ben are you done in the loo"
"Yes mummy"
"Did you flush it?"
"Yes. and washed my hands, but now my breakfast is all soggy"
I pour more cereal into another bowl and sip my own tea, chivvy the boys to eat breakfast and send them upstairs for teeth cleaning and washing.
Finally I run back up myself, J is changing one of the twins. I dive in the shower, get dressed and then change the other. Run to the top floor to make sure the boys are dressed, referee an argument about which of two identical toys belongs to which of two irate boys.
Carry the baby downstairs feed him, while J feeds his twin, nag the boys into their shoes and jackets. Fill out reading records and check book bags for missed notes.
"I need my swimming kit mummy"
"No Sam, no swimming today, there was a note"
"That was when it was sportsday today, but it isn't now because of the mud"
One of his armbands is missing. I find another but it's too small, and another, also too small, finally another, mismatched but fitting.
"And I'm Wanachi, so I can take toys"
Argh! The blasted Wanachi thing! I get it, really I do, it's great that each week one of them gets to be class monitor, to sit in a special chair, choose stories and activities and, on a Friday, take toys in to show and tell. But no one thinks of the mother (or this one at least) who will, on the way home, have 4* children walking, one double buggy with twins in, 3 book bags, 3 lunch bags, 2 swimming kit bags, 1 PE kit bag, assorted works of "art", 2 junk models, a broad bean plant in a pot and now the damn Millenium Falcon to marshall up the hill to the car.
We negotiate terms and he agrees he'll carry the toy bag.
Sarah arrives and sweeps the two big ones into her car.
I put the kettle back on. It's 8.30am.
"Mummy is it snack time, I'm hungry"....



*I haven't mis counted, I bring my friend's lovely and genuinely no trouble at all, ever, daughter home after school and in return she gets my two monsters in on time in the mornings.