*Beep Beep* alarm goes off, Busy Dad starts the finely tuned morning ritual: shave shower dress, just like all the other days. The countdown begins.

Busy Girl is still in bed, covers kicked off, drifting in and out of sleep until her alarm goes off. She will get up and get ready on her own, jumping into her school uniform that she was coaxed into laying out the night before. Busy Dad checks in, just to make sure. She's up, there's hair to be fixed, breakfast to be made. The clock is ticking.

Busy Boy, still snuggled in his bed under the covers. He's not as easy to wake up. He's getting older, but in many ways, he's still a baby. He needs more sleep than the others, and looks so sweet all cuddled up, it's hard to disturb that scene. Busy Dad gently lifts him out of bed and carries him downstairs where he "wakes up" at the kitchen table and begins to put on his uniform. If you leave him in his room, he gets back in bed or finds "something else" to do that isn't related to gettting dressed. The clock is ticking.

Somewhere in here, it's time for me to get on the gerbil wheel as soon as the bathroom is free. Many things to be accomplished in the shower: decide what to wear, go through my mental checklist for each child's supplies for the day, what will I need to get done at work. The clock is ticking.

There's still a little guy who hasn't gotten up yet. The morning gets a little bit brighter when he calls out to announce he's awake. Arms outstretched, he's so happy to see anyone who will liberate him from the crib. Time to pick out something cute for him to wear, and find his favorite shoes with the pictures of balls on them. The clock is ticking.

The pace picks up. Cereal boxes fly, backpacks checked, dishes clank in the sink. Busy Boy obsessed with styling gel and his flat top 'do (yeah, I know) "Have you brushed your teeth?" "Did you pack a snack?" "Do you have PE today?" Busy Baby suddenly and loudly demands attention.

"Let's go, ya'll!" (this is the south, after all). The 2 minute warning.

Last hurdle: get from the back door actually into the car. Harder than it sounds.

Scoop up the baby, last check of the kitchen, set the alarm. Lock up.

Seatbelts buckled. Start the car.

Time's up, we win again!