Our Chilean School Morning Routine

So here is a part of our life here that is "normal" so usual doesn't seem news worthy. But for the sake of my children's blissful reminiscing of this dream they're living, I shall now document our morning routine.

Chile still hasn't started their "fall back" to regular daylight time cause they're trying to save energy, so it's been feeling sooo dark and early in the mornings. I thought the time would switch at the beginning of April, then finally asked someone in the elevator and they said May 8th, and I was bummed cause we're gonna miss it and we were so looking forward to having that extra hour in the mornings. But, we'll be back in the US, and guess I'd rather we go back than stay just for the time switch. So we've pressed forward with the early morning routine.

6:45 - wake up the kiddos.
They get dressed in their uniforms and I go start to make the lunches.

(Yes, that is our kitchen table that Melodie is standing by. Yes, our kitchen is like unto that of a motorhome kitchen. Yes, most of us usually eat standing.)

I always put in four things.
1) Peanut Butter and Jelly/Honey sandwiches everyday (grateful Lider is owned by Walmart and we can find some "Great Value" brand foods!
2) yogurt almost every day, sometimes boiled eggs.
3) Fruit almost everyday, sometimes a juice box or cucumbers
4) Some random snack - chewy granola bars, chips, cookies. They got lucky this day with the Chilean version of Ding Dongs! Happy kids. (Now say "Thank you, Mother!")

All zipped up and ready to go. I win if I get their lunches all made before they're dressed and finished with their oatmeal. Oatmeal is the fall back breakfast. I stopped buying the expensive yet comforting food of cold cereal two months ago after we forked out too much money for their books and uniforms.

Also, after buying all the school supplies I decided against buying them lunch bags that were 10 bucks each cause I didn't want to spend the money, so we've been getting by on reusing ziplock bags. They get a few looks and comments at school, but they don't mind. We can get away with just being the weird foreigners.

Ok, get your books for the day... backpacks on and lunches in? Good. It's 7:30, let's go!
Hop in the elevator!


Down to our parking level at negative 2.

Push the button to open the locked gate to the parking garage.


Walk out the gate into the dimly lit garage...

Take a slight left, then right, and there's our little car that I pray every morning will work another day for us.

Backpacks in the back, kids jump in. Then the 25 minute drive to school. School starts at 8. Looking forward to an extra hour in the mornings back in Utah where school starts at 9, that will be nice.

And that's the Morning Routine!