The Value of Routine

Summer days start out early, the sun shines brightly through the skylight and I wake with the dawn.  Today, I woke at 6:00.

MORNING OFFERING

I attempt to remember to greet the day with a brief prayer asking God to accept my efforts this day and asking for His aid in doing my work well.  This is the ideal, this sometimes even happens!  Other days, sadly all too often, my morning offering is made well after I begin my day.  Still, I keep reaching for that ideal I have of waking and dedicating every day to God even before my feet hit the floor.

Once I am up, I am lucky if I get an hour before hubby and the little tiger wake and there is nothing I can do to put them off.  I must hit the ground running.

MORNING ROUTINE

I have found that the water for the baby bottle takes 3 minutes in the microwave, then the bottle is popped into the water to sit until needed.  I don’t stand there waiting the 3 minutes, those are 3 minutes for other things! I prepare and start the coffee pot and get the bottle ready and even wash a couple of dishes before that 3 minute timer goes off!

Check the calendar for routine interrupting appointments.  Today is all clear.

The dogs go from the crates they sleep in into the dog yard. Check water buckets–we are south so, yes, plural.  Dump them, rinse them, fill them.  Next, returning to the house, I feed the cat and change his water dish and check to see if his box needs tending.

Check laundry–might sort loads, might start a load, might fold something sitting in the dryer–whatever is needed in the couple of minutes I have.  Today, I start a washer load.

The coffee is done brewing. Pour one cup of coffee and pour that cup back into the brewing basket to run through the grounds again.  Makes a much richer pot, but means a longer wait.

Time for my least favorite morning task: the exercise bike. I dislike sweating so I count it as penance but it allows me an uninterrupted half hour to pray.  I set the difficulty level, start the timer and begin both my exercise and my Rosary.  In the 30 minute/5 mile ride I manage one five decade Rosary, the chaplet of the Divine Mercy, and a couple sections on the encyclical I am currently re-reading.

Time!  About one hour from waking.

VOCATION

The routine I’ve worked out is an aid to my fulfilling the obligations of my vocation.  I fine tune it regularly.    Little things, like in which order should I do the first activities?  I used to end up standing there waiting for the water for the bottle–how silly!  The coffee pot must be set early enough to add a cup back through to make it better BEFORE the little tiger takes the bottle and I miss my chance to have a quiet cup of coffee.

The little tiger is awake and complaining of a wet diaper and lack of bottle.  Easily remedied.  Today, I finished the bike in time so I call up that I am on my way and go get the bottle and pour myself my first, oh so eagerly awaited cup of coffee.  On a day when I am still on the bike, hubby gets the prepared bottle and handles the little tiger until my exercise/prayer time is finished.

Diaper changed; the little tiger and I sit in a recliner, each enjoying our early morning beverage before the next segment of the morning routine begins. Ah!  Good morning!

 

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