I'm not a morning person (#MorningStories)

I am not a morning person. Never have been and never will be. I remember as a kid the much loathed jolly tune of a trumpet from a morning radio programme for kids, which my Dad used to tune in. For some reason, he thought it would cheer me up. How I hated that programme. Fast forward 30+ years... There is still a grumpy little girl inside me who finds it difficult to get up early.

Here's my little man making a "morning face", though usually he wakes up with a big grin 

I don't like the sound of the alarm clock, and each time it goes off in the morning, for a couple of minutes I struggle with myself and ponder, "Shall I perhaps pretend that I didn't hear it and just go back to sleep? What will happen if I ignore it?" But life is life, breakfast for children and lunch boxes won't get ready by themselves. I get out of bed and go donwstairs quietly, so as not to wake up my kids, let them sleep for ten-fifteen minutes more, while I am making the toast and a cup of tea, cutting the tuna pate sandwiches for my older son's lunch box.
That is of course if my older son is still sleeping. Autism often comes with sleep disorders, and going to bed is always a bit like walking in the minefield, you never know if it's going to blow. Some nights are relatively normal, whatever normal means to "normal" people. Some nights are a pure nightmare, when Sash is bouncing on the bed for hours, and the house is a veritable Zoo. He might wake up around 4 or 5am, then sit with his ipad outside our bedroom, so that it is not too lonely, and trust me, The Wheels on the Bus doesn't sound so cheerful at this time. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night, stays awake for a few hours and then falls into a deep sleep almost by the time he needs to get up for school.
So, on the mornings, when all my men are still sleeping, I am the one who goes around, dispensing tough love and Good morning kisses, Wakey-wakey...
Once my guys are up, the real rush hour begins, as everyone needs to be encouraged to have their breakfast.
I have the biggest cup of tea (the size of a mini-bucket) for my breakfast and maybe a toast. Once my guys are out of the door: Sash gets picked by a school bus, Eddie walks to the nursery with his Daddy, I decide whether to do the grocery shopping for the day or a million of other tasks. Sometimes I am back just a few minutes before I need to run out again to pick up Eddie from the nursery. If I'm lucky I have 15-20 minutes in between, that's when I make a cup of coffee and have a couple of biscuits.

BritMums and Belvita Breakfast biscuits have challenged Mums-bloggers to share their #MorningStories and tips. I have already talked about Belvita in the past (you might remember my review of Belvita Cocoa Breakfast Biscuits). Belvita are the only breakfast biccies which are proven to slowly release carbohydrates over four hours as part of a balanced breakfast.
For me, they are a fuel to keep me going until lunch but also a treat, especially the chocolate variety.
As a BritMums blogger, I received three boxes of Belvita to test, but only managed to take photos of two boxes (as Yogurt Crunch Cocoa biscuits were discovered by my older son before I took a photo, and there was only an empty box left).
Fruit & Fibre with pieces of dried figs is a lovely biscuit, rich in cereals and fibre.

Back to BritMums & Belvita challenge: Not sure I'm the best person to give advice on the morning routines, but here you are:

1. Get up earlier than anybody else to prepare breakfast for your family.
2. Prepare the school uniforms in the evening, so that the clothes are all ready. The same goes for school kits like swimming kits and/or other sports activities. And while we are talking sports kits, don't leave them in bags until the next week, believe me, it's much better to deal with the sweaty mucky wet things on the same day.
3. Always find time for breakfast. Just don't skip it. You might not feel hungry, but have at least something to drink and a snack.
4. Make a list of what needs to be done (and don't forget to take the list with you when you go out).

This post is an entry for #MorningStories Linky Challenge sponsored by belVita Breakfast. Learn more at www.facebook.com/belVitaUK