Usually in the morning, you hope and even expect the first thing you hear to be, “Good morning” or “Ahhhhh, what a great sleep!” or “Is it a school day? Do we have school today? Is it a school day? Mommy! School day, yes or no?”

But not this…..

Chloe (age 3): Mommy! Get your butt up. Carry me to the family room, get me some warm milk in a sippy cup and turn on my shows.

Okay. But first I need to find my time machine so I can go back and kick myself the day I let this kind of exchange be acceptable and make some huge changes.

No Ellie, it’s not a school day. There’s no school today. It’s not a school day.

Ellie: Rats.