I've got a big announcement to make today, but before I do, let me give the newbies a little background.
Last year, I did a photo shoot for Well Rounded NY with lifestyle photographer, Raquel Bianca to document my morning routine. Many reacted to the photos negatively. People thought they looked too beautiful to be a real representation of my morning. One mother even claimed they set too high of an expectation for the average working mom.
I said the beauty of the photographs surprised me as well— I was terrified to do the shoot because I thought it would expose my mornings for what they were— chaotic, disorganized and unenjoyable. But photographs stop time and show the little moments we miss— the snuggle you give at 6am when your kids invade your bed, the shoe you slip on your baby's foot with your foreheads practically touching, the smile you let escape when your daughter requests pancakes AGAIN.
I bet that if I sent the same photographer to any mother's home, she would find the beauty in their mornings too. To prove my point, I selected five mothers from around the NYC area, via reader comments— my main objective that different parts of NY were represented. Raquel and I did not see photos of the mothers, their families or their homes prior to the shoots.
Since we wanted the real deal with nothing stylized, Raquel arrived at 6am. The moms involved had no time to get their families in order even if they tried.
The goal wasn't to make their mornings look crazy or messy or comically awful. The goal was to show that even amidst the chaos and the crumbs, even when you don't pick up all the toys and you've got syrup stains on your mismatched pajamas, there is still beauty. In fact, the real moments, the ones that really represent your life and your family every day, are probably the most beautiful.
And that's how the "Monday Morning" series was born.
Ilona from Queens:
Annie from the suburbs of New Jersey:
Borami from Hoboken:
Teresa from the Upper West Side:
Jennifer from Brooklyn:
The series was tremendously popular and changed not just the perspectives of the mothers involved, but the perspective of many readers as well.
“Seeing these photos, along with yours, does make me realize that despite my own perception of the never ending chaos and the feeling that I'm doing nothing 100% well, from the outside things look pretty lovely. It also makes me remember that it's the precious little moments, so beautifully captured here, that we rush through each day, that are the ones that truly matter." – Jessica (real person, I swear)
The one complaint I got about "Monday Mornings" was that it focused only on moms from the NYC area. Readers wished more mothers from across the country were represented. I agreed. Only, I didn't have a budget to fly a photographer around the United States to snap photos. The only way I would be able to do that is if I got the series sponsored.
Well, today I am excited to announce a partnership with Allstate, an insurance company dedicated to protecting families and keeping them in good hands, who has generously agreed to help me continue the Monday Morning series and take it to other parts of the United States.
Can we all pause to let that sink in for a moment? I've known this for at least a month now and I still don't think I fully believe it.
We are looking for 12 moms in four different US cities (one city being Chicago since that's where Allstate calls home) with all different routines and backgrounds to feature their Monday Mornings on Mommy Shorts. The posts will be very similar to the five posts already featured in the program— Allstate has been clear from the beginning that they want me to maintain the authenticity of each post and not change anything I was previously doing for “Monday Mornings”. They even agreed to fly Raquel around so that I could use the same amazing photographer who made the previous posts so special.
Raquel and I could not be more excited about this partnership and I hope you all are too!
If you are a mother living in the continental United States and would like the opportunity to be featured in the Monday Morning series, please leave a brief comment below with:
a) the city/state you live in
b) the number and ages of your kids
c) any information you think might be relevant to your morning routine— what time you and/or your partner leave for work, whether your children stay at home/are in daycare/go to school/etc., if you work at home, if you have a baby on the way, if you are a single mom, if you have live-in help, if you have extended family at home, if you live in a small space, if you live in a colossal mansion, etc.
For full terms and conditions, click here.
Over the next few weeks, we will be working diligently to find the 12 featured mothers in our series. We are not looking to feature only people with extenuating circumstances— we just want a variety of relatable mornings represented.
As I mentioned, we are looking to find sets of three moms in four different cities. The only definite city is Chicago. If you want to up your chances, tell your friends nearby to enter!
A huge thank you to Allstate for making my dream come true and sponsoring Monday Mornings. It's been clear since we started working together, the series is in very good hands.
Charleston SC.
One little dude who is 1, full of smiles and loves visitors and his dogs.
I’m a military wife, so mornings are more like being a single-mom since my husband is up early and usually out of the house before the 2 of us are up and going in the mornings.
We live on the Air Force base in a beautiful house we are slowly making our home.
1. Tanya – Los Angeles, CA
2. Married with two children (Stella 4, Bodhi 1) and two rescue dogs (Pablo & Violet) We’re a set of six, 3 females, 3 males.
I recently started my own online company and do my best at trying to work from home amidst the chaos, wrangle the littles, and still give my husband a meaningful kiss goodbye each morning.
3. We live in a rented two bedroom near LAX. Both dogs and both kids are usually on top of us in our king size bed by 6:30AM. My husband leaves at 7:30AM, and the kids and I are out the door by 8-8:300AM. Stella goes to preschool and Bodhi is home with me on Mondays.
Thanks for the opportunity! This is a beautiful series!
a) Boston, MA
b) 1 spirited toddler (he’ll be 2 in June), two fur babies – a 150-lb black lab and a fat cat
c) Both my husband and I work outside the home – he’s a pastry chef and I work for an international tour operator. We drop off our son 3 days a week at an in-home day care provider (the most amazing, caring Chilean woman you’ve ever met). The other 2 days a week, my husband is a stay-at-home dad. We live in an adorable teeny-tiny apartment with a few quirks!
We’d love the opportunity to see our lives through rose-colored glasses 😉
a) We live in Cincinnati, OH
b) two little girls, aged 2.5 and 7 months
c) My husband is a school teacher (leaves by 7:45), and I stay at home with the girls. We live in a red brick townhouse. We juggle a potty training toddler and a bottle feeding baby. Mornings are sweet, slow chaos in our house, since the girls and I have nowhere to go most mornings unless we choose to. Just the oatmeal and bottles and hair bows and lots of singing Daniel Tiger’s morning ditties. And then usually around 10 am I realize I haven’t yet had a thing to eat or a chance to brush my hair :).
1. Atlanta, GA
2. 2 kids – Son 4, daughther almost 1
3. We have 2 early birds in our house, so we are up and about before 6 am most days. We live in a suburb of atlanta and both kids go to daycare. My husband and I both work full time. He commutes each day and I telework twice a week.
This is so fabulous! What a neat idea- I’d love to be a part of it & would be honored if chosen!! Here’s a bit about me:
a) We live right outside of Dallas,TX in suburbian heaven (aka Frisco, TX)
b) 2 kids: 2 1/2 and 2 month old, both girls (Quinlin & Ardyn) and one furry babe- a teacup yorkie named Zoe who thinks she is the 3rd sister of the gang. (And the way she is tormented…ahem, ‘played with’ by my 2 1/2 year old…she might as well be!)
c) I’m a work from home mama. I’m a photographer and I run an online hair accessory boutique (in my spare time). Hubby leaves for work by 6:30am, leaving the morning duties mine-all-mine! 😉 Both girls stay home with me and we are up by about 7am (or earlier if newborn babe feels like it)- The mornings start with copious amounts of coffee, Annie or Frozen on repeat, and the mayhem that is my hurricane of a toddler. I have a sister who currently moved to TX and lives in our guest room while she gets on her feet. She is also out the door before the kids and I even get up. We live in a pretty good-sized home in the suburbs and I have someone who comes in to help with the cleaning on thursdays. My daughter goes to dance class, swim class and will be attending pre-school in the fall. Other than that- our days include lots of mac n’cheese, walks to the park, playdates, and me trying to edit a gallery while breastfeeding and helping Quin open play-doh (that she must play with RIGHT now) containers.
I’m on instagram at @jjm7 if you’d like to take a sneak peek at what our crazy life looks like! 🙂
1. Houston, Texas
2. Two 40ish full time working parents with a 2 year old. I work as a sales director from home most days and dad is in land development/acquisitions for a large public homebuilder. Our little girl goes to daycare full time since the age of 9 weeks. I also live in suburbia where NO moms work. You feel the judgement.
3. My husband is out the door by 7am and doesn’t even usually see our daughter before work and I am have her out the door by 8am.
Come see how we do it in Texas!!
Hey! I live in San Rafael, CA, which is located in Marin County, one of the richest counties in the nation! We live in a two-bedroom apartment in a converted house.
My husband and I both work full time, and we have an almost-two-year-old son. My husband is a musician with dreadlocks who also happens to be a secret yuppy with an affinity for collared shirts, who has a day job managing a legal office. I am an administrator at a private school, but also a graphic designer/musician. We both leave at the same time, but my husband actually does a good portion of our morning routine with our little guy. I leave first (8:00 a.m.), they spend another 20 minutes playing before heading to daycare.
I get up at around 6:30, the boys get out of bed at around 7-ish. It all depends on when the little guy wakes up.
a) Beaumont, CA
b) 1 Boy 16 months
c) Currently parent as single parent with hubs away. We are getting ready to transition from gma watching him to a day care. We live in a small 2 bedroom, we bedshare as i haven’t been able to break him of it and i need to get my sleep
1.) Las Vegas, NV / Salt Lake City, UT
2.) I live in Las Vegas with my 9month old daughter and my parents in their 5bed 4.5bath way-too-big-for-just-the-two-of-them-anyway house, while we wait for the baby’s next heart surgery. Sometimes between doctors appointments the baby and I get to live in our little 2bed 2bath apartment in Salt Lake City, where we are reunited with our husband/daddy, who is attending law school at the University of Utah.
3.) Our life is a little crazy, with doctors and therapists and road trips, but we really believe there’s beauty in this chaos. It would be wonderful to have proof!
1.Fayetteville NC
2.2 KIDS: girl 3 1/2 and a boy 7 month.
3.I am a stay at home mom and army wife. I basically run everything from morning until night. My husband is in a year and a half of specialized training that takes him away from us for weeks or months at a time. Whether he is home or away life can be chaotic never knowing his schedule. During the school year we get up and get moving for preschool three days a week and then rush home to get the youngest down for a nap. On non school days we get up and take the dog out, eat breakfast and try to wake up (me, ha) because two young ones keep you hopping!! We live in a 3 bedroom apartment and also have a dog running around!
First off, congrats on the amazing sponsorship!! I’ve been following since Mazzy was about 1.5 and am super excited to see such an awesome blog do well! (Also, validation for me…see, hubs? I TOLD you this was a great blog and totally worth my time!)
But I digress:
1). Miami, FL
2). One boy, who will turn four this June
3). My husband, my son, and I live in a 5 bedroom tract home in a boring suburban neighborhood (should prob. have more kids to fill up those rooms). Our day starts around 6:15 AM when our preschooler pitter patters into the room. He watches cartoons while I prepare breakfast and pack both his lunch and my husband’s (who is a health nut and limits eating out). My husband leaves for work around 7:30, I give my son a bath (he has a skin condition and needs two medicated baths per day), moisturize him, help him pick out his clothes. He then brushes his teeth and dresses himself while I get ready. We leave for preschool around 8:30. After drop-off I return home and get some work done from our home office (we have a family business, my husband works FT from the office, I work PT from home).
Congrats again.
What a great opportunity! My name is Anna Kate Keller, and I am mama to Emmett, who will be two in July. We live in a rental home (that we love!) in Tempe, Arizona while we renovate and sell our house. We usually wake up around 6:30 a.m., and my husband is out the door and on his bike to the office by 7:40. Emmett goes to a preschool/daycare on Monday and Tuesday mornings so that I can work from home, and we spend the rest of the week playing and visiting friends and local parks!
I left out that I’m usually up by 6:30 because my 3 1/2 doesn’t know what sleeping in means! That or the dog is whining at 6 because she thinks it is play time.
This is SO COOL. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the original series and I am really looking forward to these!
a) Corrales, New Mexico
b) One boy, 4, and a baby girl currently still baking in my belly, due in August. It would be really cool to see a “fresh” baby, and mom and son getting used to her, I think!
c) I do currently work full time, as does my husband. Though if we did this I would really like to do it during my maternity leave just because I typically leave my house for the day at 6am and it would just be cruel to subject Raquel to that. 🙂
1. Nashville, TN
2. 4 kids – Daughter (9), son (7), son (5), daughter (3).
3. I’m a SAHM. Our youngest daughter was recently adopted from China (the others are biological.) I’m usually up by 5:30 and have the kids up by 6:15 to by in the car a little after 7 to start our commute to two private schools. My husband travels periodically and has a trainer come to the house at 7 when he’s in town. We have two dogs, three frogs and a gecko.
I live with my husband and three children, ages 3, 5, and 7 in a Phoenix, Arizona suburb, but our living situation is a little different — my husband, Andrew, works and lives 400 miles away, Monday through Friday. He leaves our home at 2:00 AM on Monday mornings so that he can tuck kids into bed on Sunday night, so each morning’s responsibilities lies squarely on my shoulders.
I work full time, commuting an hour to work each way, which means early mornings for us all! My alarm blares at 4:55, 5:05, and 5:20, with the last alarm stating “PANIC. YOU’RE LATE.” My cat, Wednesday, usually plants herself squarely on my chest after the first alarm, making it impossible for me to drag myself out of bed. We are supposed to be in the car at 6:30 AM.
I drop my oldest off at school, and my two youngest commute with me to Scottsdale for preschool.
That is very cool!
a) Chambersburg, PA
b) 2 children, 9yr old and 17mo old
c) Their father and I both work, our employer allows us to work modified shifts so that our toddler only needs part time day care and our 9yr old doesn’t need any before & after care. Dad leaves the house around 4:30am. I get the 9yr old up (and that usually means the toddler, too, but some days he’ll sleep in) at 7:45. I get a shower and the 9yr old occupies the toddler while she also gets ready. After the shower I take over and get the toddler ready while 9yr gets breakfast. She leaves for school by 8:50 and toddler and I head to daycare by 9:20.
1. Broken Arrow, OK
2. Married, I have an 11 year old son, and my husband has two who are with us part of the time: 11 yr old boy, 9 yr old girl…1 cat, 1 dog
3. Husband & I both work full time…up at 5:40am, husband out the door by 6, Grant & I leave by 7:15 to get him to school & me to work
a) Blaine, Minnesota [northern suburb of Minneapolis]
b) I have 4 kids under 4 years old- yes, they are all mine and no, none of them are multiples 🙂 4 year old boy, 3 year old boy, 2 year old girl and 1 year old boy.
c) I am a married, stay-at-home mom with a husband who often travels for work but when he is home, he leaves before we are awake [between 6-7am, sometimes earlier but sometimes later]. Currently we pack up for preschool three days a week [MWF] to get the older 2 boys there by 9am and then on Wednesday we head over to dance for my 2 year old at 9:45. On non-school days and upcoming summer break, we are up with the sun, eat a quick breakfast and the kids head outside to play. It’s like pulling teeth to get them to come in for snacks, lunch and nap 🙂
We live in a typical cookie-cutter house in the suburbs- 5 bedrooms [one is currently being used as a playroom in the basement], 4 bathrooms- fenced in yard with a play set, trampoline and big sandbox. Oh and we have a dog and a fish 🙂
Hooray for the Chicago area and an Allstate customer!
1) I live in Homer Glen, IL – southwest suburb of Chicago
2) My husband and I have a 2 yr old daughter who is with family or a sitter the 3 days a week MWF that I work as a physical therapist
3) we have a modest home and we work hard to provide for our family, especially my husband, as we live this, our chaotic life that we love!!
Jackson, MI here! I have a special needs 2yo daughter and a 5.5m son. I’m a work-from-home mom and we all get up around 6:30 when hubby leaves for work. Our mornings are filled with breakfasts, nursing, therapies and medications. It’s raw and real and we would love to show the world. My house is NOT clean but I generally am able to get the dishwasher loaded. Please come here!
A. Gaithersburg, MD
B. Two kiddos that are 2 and 4
C. My early risers are usually up between 6 and 6:30 and whoever gets up first, sneaks into the other one’s room and wakes them for snuggle time on the couch as they share the iPad. Hubby and I try to get a few extra winks in but that doesn’t work often. He is out the door at 8 and I’m a WFHM that gets the kids fed, dressed, and ready for the day while I attempt to work–always a balancing act! My son is in preschool but my daughter is home with me!
I forgot! We live in a modest 3 bedroom ranch with our two dogs in a small rural neighborhood. Very Michigan like over here.
Katy, TX (Outside of Houston)
We have a ridiculously big house (because this is Texas, and it was unbelievably affordable for us former Boston/Connecticut home owners) I am a SAHM to 4 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. My husband works for “big oil”- he worked from home for 15 years, now he has to be up and out by 7 am. We also have a 15 year old cranky cat.
My day always starts around 5 when one of the twins comes to snuggle. This is the final months of “lazy Mondays”. Next year they will be in school full time. I am trying to enjoy these last days of not having a schedule, of doing whatever whim we want on a Monday morning when the park, zoo, and museums are empty.
I loved seeing these beautiful shots of Monday Mornings.. so happy its hitting the road.. Come to Anacortes, Washington and check out our morning!!!! It will be great birth control for the whole crew.
a) We are a military family living in the Pacific Northwest in a little island town called Anacortes, WA (1 1/2 hr north of Seattle)
b) We have two kiddos.. Vivian (3) and George (1)
c) My husband is a Navy pilot and I am a stay at home mom. I have a love for stretch pants and strong coffee:) We live in one story home in surburbia..cul de sac and all. My daughter goes to preschool 2 mornings a week. Most mornings just getting out of our pajamas (mom included) is an olympic feat but I’d love to have a keepsake of the chaos:)
1. Orange County, CA
2. 2 girls, 4.5 year old and 1.5 year old
3. I work at home (realtor) and husband is an attorney. Mornings consist of hair combing (it’s crazy in here), getting ready for preschool, breakfast and doing alittle work on out fixer upper. Lol! My husband just this morning starting scraping the glue off the front porch to get painted. We do alittle but here and there when we have time. It’s usually in the mornings. 😉
I would love to be a part of your Monday morning shorts. Below are my answers to your questions.
A. Hoboken, NJ
B. Boy/Girl twins- 13 months
C. My husband and I get up between 5:30 AM- 6:00 AM to work out (T-25!!). I shower and get ready from 7- 7:20 AM. My husband leaves for work at 7:30 AM. I get both babies at 7:30 AM, change diapers, feed them breakfast, clean their breakfast, play with them, change another set of diapers and get them dressed. If we have time we facetime with all the grandparents. My nanny arrives at 8:30 AM. We distract the babies and I have “sneak” away at 8:40 AM to get to work by 9:30 AM. A chaotic morning but I wouldn’t change it for the world. The mornings are my favorite time of the day. I get so sad every morning when my nanny opens the door because I know it is “that time.”
Come to sunny Los Angeles! My husband is going to kill me (he won’t even let me take a picture of him after he’s spent thirty minutes on his hair let alone at 6:30 in the morning when he’s just rolled out of bed). I have a very dramatic four and a half year old who doesn’t stop talking and a one and a half year old who is smiling from the second she opens her eyes. She also just started walking so she can’t stand on her two feet without falling for more than ten seconds. I’m a stay-at-home mom. I get both girls ready in the morning while my husband gets ready to take my older daughter to preschool before he heads off to work. There’s no shortage of drama, dancing and singing during our mornings.
Wow, what an amazing opportunity! I live in Farmington CT with my 4 year old daughter and a 5 month old son. We currently are renters. My daughter attends pre-k every day and I stay home with my son but transport her to and from her school every day with the little one in tow which can make the morning hectic! My husband works overnights and isn’t home till 7:30am which leaves me to orchestrate the morning routine. Usually we are up at 6:30am and out the door by 8am.
LOVE this series!
1.) We live in Tampa, FL
2.) We have 2 girls, age 3 (January 18), and 1 (April 16)
3.) I work as a project coordinator for an interior design firm and work 32+ hours a week; my husband is an executive chef and works roughly 55 hours as week. Mondays are usually crazy b/c my husband goes into work around 4:30 am instead of 9 am, and then I’m up at 6 to sneak in a 30 min. elliptical workout, and then shower and then the little one is up at 7 to nurse, and the older one shortly after. The girls go to daycare and my goal is always to be out the door by 8:15….but that’s happened maybe once in the past year? Usually it’s 8:30 and then I’m late to work by about 20 minutes.
a) Cedar City, UT (half way between Las Vegas and SLC)
b) 3 children, ages 7, 5, and 9 months
c) I own Little Sapling Toys, a modern wooden toy company. We home school our kids and are building a house in the mountains, so with these circumstances, our morning routine varies.
Thank you!
1. Currently Milton, WA (about 30 minutes south of Seattle) and beginning June 13, we will be in Warren, RI.
2. We have two kids, Jackson (5) and Mackenzie (2)
3. My husband left for Rhode Island in March so I’m single mommin’ it until we ship out. I run an in home day care, Jackson goes to speech therapy and preschool. Our mornings are nuts. Trying to get five kids out the door to take Jackson to speech is like a tornado lol most of the time, those who catch the bus end up making a mad dash up the hill, barely making it. It’s overwhelming and stressful, especially alone. Once we move to Rhode Island, our mornings will be different. Through the summer, we will get to wake up and head next door to check on great, great nana (she’s 98, living alone, so full of love and laughter!) while my husband heads to work. Come fall, Jackson will be heading to kindergarten, Mackenzie to day care (!!!) and I too will be joining the work force with my husband. This is an adventure we have longed for and I know it’s going to be a big adjustment. I would love to be able to have either end of this journey captured!
Congratulations on the sponsorship! This was one of my favorite series!
a. Washington, D.C.
b. A son age 3 (4 in June) and a daughter age 1 1/2
c. My husband and I both work out of the home. We usually wake the kids at 6:00. I leave at 6:15 and hubby leaves with the kids at 6:30ish.
Our mornings can be a bit crazy! I love this idea of capturing the small moments.
I live in Menomonee Falls, WI which is a suburb of Milwaukee, WI. I have a 3.5 year old daughter and a 4.5 month old son. My husband and I both work outside of the home. I recently returned to work after a 16 week maternity leave and our mornings are all over the place. I mean, THEORETICALLY, I should be out of bed by 5:30 and out of the house by 6:45 to make it to my office around 7. What really happens? I hit the snooze button, my daughter wanders in, things get delayed and I’m at the office at 8. SIGH.
a) Fort Lauderdale/Miami, FL
b) 2 daughters ages 4 and 2
c) My husband and I work full-time outside the home and also blog together at http://www.newsyparents.com. Our daughters attend different schools because of the age difference but will be at the same school next year. We are currently renting a small town home because we recently moved to the area. Because we work opposite schedules, we cherish the mornings because this is the only time we are all together.
http://www.newsyparents.com
A – Milford, CT
B – 2 boys, ages 2 yrs old and 6 weeks old
C – my husband works Mon through Fri, 7:30 – 5 and Sat 8-12; I am a wedding photographer, working out of the home on the weekends at all hours, and editing from home during the week.
We live in a house, about a block from the beach, in a nice neighborhood. Typical of a beach community, the house isn’t very big, the rooms arent’t very big, and we have way too much stuff in this little house! Everyone in both of our large families lives in the same city, most of his within a few minutes of us.
1. Chicago, IL
2. I have a son who will be 3 in June and we just welcomed our daughter on April 11th.
3. I am currently on maternity leave but it is still chaos getting my son up, dressed and ready for preschool while taking care of the baby and trying to let my husband sleep a little since he takes the late shift with the baby. When I am working, I am out the door at 545 so I can be home by 4 as my husband takes night classes as well as working a part time job.
1. I live in Dallas area (flower mound)
2. I have 3 boys: ages 5, 4, and 1.5
3. I am a stay at home mom. I wake up early to go to gym before hubby wakes up and then each morning is different depending on day… Sometimes school, sometimes playdates, sometimes speech therapy… Sometimes it is a pj day and we stay at home. 🙂
Can’t wait to see the pictures for the winners!
Congratulations!!! I loved that series and was hoping you would get the chance to expand! Can’t wait to see the rest of them!
1) Shakopee, MN (SW suburb of Minneapolis)
2) Two girls: 2 1/2 year old and 3 months
3) We live in a single family home in Shakopee. My husband is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, so works different shifts each week. When he works 11pm-8am, it’s up to me to get us all up, ready & out the door by 7:30am so I can be to work by 8. The girls attend an in-home daycare near my office in Prior Lake, MN. When my husband isn’t working overnights, we can tag-team the morning routine. Our 2 1/2 year old has quite the personality…and opinions on things lately 🙂 She likes to pick out her breakfast, and play and/or read a little before we leave. She also gives me an evil look when I tell her I need to put her hair up 😉 Our 3 month old is pretty low key. She’ll nurse between 5-6 am and then hang out until it’s time to leave.
A) Trinity, FL (just outside of Tampa)
B) 4 kids- 2 girls and 2 boys, ages 8,5,2 and 2 months
C) I am a kindergarten teacher currently on maternity leave. We just moved into a new 4 bedroom home. My husband leaves for work at 6:15 in the morning so I am basically on my own from that point on.
I wake up at 5:30 and get the kids up at 6:20. We have to leave the house by 7:20 to get my 8 year old daughter to school by 8:00 and then I take my 5 year old son to preschool. My 2 year old and 2 month old are home with me until I go back to work in August, then things will get really interesting. 😉
I live in a tiny town… Friendship, TN.
I’m a homeschooling mom to 2. An amazing 6 year old son with autism and a 4 year old diva daughter. 🙂 I am married to a man who works 2 jobs to provide for us and allow me to homeschool without being financial burdened by it and our son’s medical expenses.
I am also a photographer myself and I think it would be really interesting to be on the other side of the lens. 😉
What a neat idea! Us Moms need all the support we can get!
I’m a mom to three ages 7, 4 and 3. We have your average middle class home in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa… Ankeny. My husband and I both work out of the home. Although we both work full time our youngest two only go to a daycare center part time as I work varying shifts as a nurse to be home with them as much as possible. Our oldest is a first grader and leaves the house by 7:10 to take the bus to school. Depending on my work schedule that week, the rest of the family heads out the door by 745. Good luck with this awesome project!
This is so inspiring!
We live in Winter Haven, Florida, which is about an hour either way from Tampa and Orlando, Florida. I am a married, homeschooling mom to a teenage girl (age 14) and a preschooler (boy age 3). I also am currently going to school for my bachelors in elementary education. My husband leaves for work at around 6 am and we start our day close to then. Our morning consists of breakfast and then usually homeschool computer time for my teenager and some creative play or craft for my preschooler. I have a blog that I try to work on a little in the mornings if time allows, where I document mostly the experiences of my preschooler learning through play and exploration. We are blessed to have a pretty laid back morning routine!
I’m the REAL Jessica! I love love love this series, as I said, and am thrilled at the prospect of being considered.
a) Dedham, Massachusetts (1/3 mile from the Boston border)
b) I have an almost three year old and am due within the next month-ish (technically 5 weeks, but i’m hoping for 3…which, we all know how that goes)
c) We live in a sweet little house, recently refitting our son’s room to accommodate his baby brother, too. Both my husband and I work. Each morning is a bit different because my husbands schedule changes daily (he’s a personal trainer) and because we have a variety of childcare arrangements. Monday it’s Papa at our house, mid-week we drive to family daycare, and Friday is Daddy day. I work Monday-Friday but am at the helm all five mornings. Anxious, excited, terrified to see how mornings change with the arrival of #2. I would say that 2 out of 5 days go quasi-smoothly, but some days are a real battle just to get #1 to agree to get dressed! Layering on sleep deprivation and another human should be really interesting.
Thanks for consider me!
Lol… love it! This is just perfect. If my son was younger I would definitely want to participate.
^ considering
a) Phoenix, AZ
b) 6 kids and one more due next month (in May). We have four boys ages 11,8,5 and 3 and two daughters ages 10 years and 21 months. New baby is also a girl.
c) I am a stay at home mom who homeschools. We get up around 6am so daddy can help with the schooling before he leaves for work at 9am.
I love this series and I am excited you are taking it across the country!
1) I live in Lexington, KY – if you have never been here, you should come!
2) My husband and I have one daughter, Annie, who will turn 3 in June.
3) I work full-time at a nonprofit organization and my husband is a contractor. We live in a 90-year old 1000 square foot bungalow and that, paired with the fact that my husband works on homes for a living, means that a home renovation project is always in the works. My daughter attends daycare every day and will start preschool in the fall. Our mornings start around 6:15 and we try our best to be out the door by 8:00.
Love this idea! I’m from Saratoga Springs NY (3 hours north of NYC) and I have 2 little girls (3 YO and 15 months). We have a great babysitter who comes to our house on Mondays so they’re pretty peaceful 🙂
My husband and I have two beautiful daughters – our 6 year old is a first grader in our local parochial school and our youngest just turned a year old and goes to an in home sitter. We live in a 900 sq foot home in O’Fallon, MO. Hubby and I both work for the same company, but in offices that are 20 miles apart. We have a bit of a “divide and conquer” situation, which means that we trade off the girls getting ready in the morning with me being solely responsible for all hair and wardrobe, and Daddy making sure the children are fed occasionally. Then I take the little one and head to the sitter while Daddy drives the carpool for our oldest and her friend from down the street.
Expect chaos to reign supreme if you pick us. The older daughter is NOT a morning person, and moves like an automaton in the morning, while the baby MIGHT sleep in until daylight, then greet every face with shrieks of joy – and possibly offer you some of the Cheerios she’s dropped on the floor!
We are definitely not your normal family as Hubby and I are a great deal older than the other parents in our daughter’s class. This can lead its own brand of crazy because we had so many years of being responsible for only ourselves before we had children. (we’ve been together for almost 20 years at this point).
We’d love to have you visit us in Missouri!
1. Reno, NV
2. Two sons, age 8 and 3
3. We are married and live in a suburban two-story house with our 2 dogs. Hubby gets up super early (4:15) to take care of diabetic dog, do chores and “wake up” with a little TV, is out the door by 6:30 to his job as an auto mechanic. I am up at 5 to exercise, kids are up at 6, and I take them to 2nd grade and preschool on my way to work at the community college. We leave the house about 7:15.
1) Northampton MA (1.5 hours west of Boston)
2) 2 boys (4 and 9 months)
3) Like most families, our mornings are crazy. I keep saying they will get easier the more we do them but in starting to think that’s not the case. My husband works full time and I am a full time Ph.D. student as well as an adjunct instructor at a local college. My oldest goes to preschool and my youngest is in daycare. I would love to have this opportunity because for the first 30-60 minutes of every morning my husband is in charge if the kids while I get a little extra sleep after nursing the baby all night. It may seem crazy and hectic to him, but the time he spends with them is beautiful and important and I think this would help him see that.
Hi~ My family lives in Santa Rosa (45 miles outside San Francisco). We have a 4 1/2 year old daughter and a 2 month old baby. I have just returned to work from maternity leave. I work in schools and my husband is a chef at a winery. We live in a 1920’s bungalo that everyone says is, “so cute”, but all I see is a tiny house stuffed with a family of 4 sharing one tiny bathroom in the mornings. Our mornings are a whirlwind of feeding the wiener dog, Zinnie, getting the baby fed, pumping, packing the pump, getting breakfast for my 4 year old daughter, then sometimes getting a 2nd breakfast for her because something was “wrong” with 1st one, me stuffing my face as I try to put on some makeup while my daughter leaves the table with her 2nd breakfast to come and try on some of “mommy’s makeup too”, greeting the nanny for the baby, getting our daughter’s belongings for preschool (what will she bring to share??? that always consumes our mondays), then off we all go in different directions by 8:30/8:45. Right before I typed this I just had to buy a new baby carrier to help us get through our mornings. He’s going to get quite a ride with mommy wearing him in the mornings!!! WE would love to be a part of this project with you…. 🙂
1) St. Louis MO
2) Married mother of 2.5 year old twin boys.
3) We live in a 2 bedroom home in the city of St. Louis. I am a real estate agent who works primarily out of our home and my husband is a manager of a hotel who works odd hours. Most mornings I am on my own to feed my boys and get them off to a parents day out program 3 mornings a week. I take my two neighbor kids to school too so we have a hectic breakfast and then out the door.
I watched this series on your blog and absolutely loved it. I know what you picture in your head your home to be like and what it looks like to an outsider are completely different. I would love to see my life with my boys from an outside perspective.
Since reading your series, it has really made me slow down and take notice of the beautiful things that happen during our morning routine.
I have considered doing something similar with the mom’s in our playgroup, just so we could capture those special moments for each other.
I live in a three bedroom house just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. I have a nearly 2 year old daughter. My husband is up early at 4:45 and out the door before we are usually awake, so my daughter and I get lots of quality time in the morning before I drop her off at my mother’s house and head to work.
Keep up the great work. I love the stories you tell!
A) Los Angeles, ca
B) 2 kids(2 year old and 2 month old)
C) I work full time and my husband is a stay-at-home dad. But I don’t get off the hook because I’m the working parent. But I wouldn’t want to miss the precious moments (chaos included) for anything in the world. I am grateful I have a wonderful husband who helps with a lot of the parenting. Our girls adore him! Our oldest just started daycare part time while the little one spends quality time with dad for the day. I have to be at work by 7 but up way earlier to nurse our newborn before leaving for work. Dad helps get our oldest ready for school. I know you’re featuring mothers but in our family … It’s a two person team all the way!
We are a family of 6 (2 parents, 2 kids, 2 dogs) living in Mount Vernon, WA. A small town about 60 miles north of Seattle. Kennedy is 2 1/2 years old and Piper is 14 weeks. I just went back to work after a 12 week maternity leave and we are trying to adjust to our new routine. Our morning routine is pretty mundane. I wake up at 5am to feed Piper/pump. From there it is a matter of getting showered, getting the kids up, dogs fed and everyone ready for the day. We leave the house around 7:15. My husband and I both work out of the home and our little girls go to Nana’s (my mom’s) house. We are a pretty normal family living a very normal life. I would love to see what our life looks like thru someone elses eyes.
Whittier, CA
1 son, 2 years old.
I’m a single mom to a loveable boy named Josh. Our “Monday Mornings” are more like “Saturday Mornings” since I have such odd schedules. I’m a flight attendant based in LAX. We live with my parents who are the care takers when I’m away, at work, days at a time. My stepdad works from home and watches Josh during the day, my mom takes over when she gets home in the evening. When I’m home, we wake up, maybe watch Caillou in bed(9-9:30am) change, eat breakfast (9:30-10, if he’s not picky about eating only a banana) and play all day after that-We’ll build Legos, set up a train track and push the trains and cars around, race his motorized cars, try and chase “Minnie” our beagle (really named Mindy) or maybe hang outside and take a walk or ride his car if it’s nice out…all until nap time at about 1-1:30pm. If it’s a Thursday or Friday, chances are I’m out of the house by 5am, sometimes 12:30pm and sometimes 6:45pm. Either way, our mornings (as long as I don’t have to leave before he wakes up) I wake up with him, and spend all the one on one time I possibly can before I need to get ready for work. Although we don’t have a “Monday Morning” routine, our consistent routine is giving him attention and love when he wakes up at 8:30-9am everyday:) It certainly takes a village to raise a child, and we have the best one around!
Thanks for reading!
I currently live in Chicago and would love to participate!
I have a very sassy 13 month old and an attention starved maltipoo.
My boyfriend and I both leave for work at 7am which makes our time in the mornings with our daughter short but chaotic none the less. We both drop her off by Grandma’s every morning before we both head to work. We live in a neighborhood right outside of the Chicago Loop in a 2 bedroom apartment.
A) Kimball, Michigan
B) 2.5 year old and 3 month old girls
C) I work 12 hour midnights at the local hospital and the hubby works day shift. Between breakfast, showers, and nursing the baby things get pretty frantic around here 🙂
I’m in Chicago, Ill. I have a 9 month old boy. My partner and I live in a cluttered 2 bedroom condo in the West Loop with our 2 dogs. Baby is my alarm clock and we are just now transitioning him into his crib to sleep alone. I am supposed to get to work around 8 but significant other has a broken knee, is on crutches and useless, so we’re all lucky to get out of the house by 8. I could really use some perspective on how this is beautiful. 😉
This is a fantastic idea!! I live in Arlington, Texas. I have 2 daughters who are 7 and 9 (as of next week). Our situation is kind of unique because we start our day a little later than most. I homeschool my girls. My husband works 2nd shift (he’s a nurse) and isn’t home until midnight or later during the week. So, we stay up late. We normally get up around 9:30 or 10am. We have school in the afternoon after hubs leaves for work.
Come to Boulder, CO! I’m a single mom with one son, 6 months old. I work 3/4 time, so I have to get him ready for day care most mornings. We have a good routine going thankfully, and he’s a great kid! We live in a 900- square foot townhouse with wonderful neighbors!
1) Belcamp, MD (north of Baltimore)
2) Deecan, 11 months
3) Both my husband and I work, but we work opposite shifts. I work a “traditional” 9 to 5 job, while my husband works night shift. As a result, our days are polar opposites. I’m on my way out the door, as he is getting ready to crawl into bed. I leave the house at a different time each day, depending on where Deecan is headed, how he’s getting there, and whether I have morning meetings. Deecan spends Mondays with his dad and then spends the rest of the week between both sets of grandparents’ houses. If he’s with my parents, my dad picks him up. If he’s with my husband’s parents, my husband takes him over. Regardless of the lack of routine, each day starts the same – Around 6:30 am with Deecan letting me know he’s awake and raring to go and me wishing for more sleep. Always wishing for more sleep.
How amazing! These type of shots are my absolute favorite. There really is so much beauty in the ordinary. I am usually just moving to fast to see it.
We live outside of Dallas in Flower Mound.
Three boys (4, 3 and 5 months)
The big boys go to “school” on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings so there is a rush of waking, eating, lunch making, dressing sometimes all while nursing the baby.
The rush part is totally our fault, because most days we don’t get out of bed until all three have made it into our bed for morning snuggles. It is my favorite way to start the day!
a) Ann Arbor, MI (only 5 hours from Chicago!!)
b) 2 kids! My son is 4 and my daughter is 15 months.
c) My husband is a teacher and I work from home for a software company. The kids go to daycare 3 days a week, but two days a week my mom watches them here in the house while I work upstairs. She’s currently healthy, but she has terminal cancer. We treasure every day with her, but I would love the opportunity to document our mornings with my mom! She does an amazing job with them – teaching them all the time.
I love this!! I actually think about the families from this project often – probably once a week at least – and find it helps me calm down during my own hurried mornings.
a) Phoenix, AZ
b) 6 year old girl, 4 year old boy, infant boy
c) Husband leaves around 7:45, often has time to eat breakfast with the big kids while I get the baby ready or shower. Right now the two boys are in daycare twice a week while I finish my PhD. We walk/bike ride my daughter to the bus stop for kindergarten, passing by cacti on the way, which blows my mind – we just moved here from the midwest and are still unpacking, boxes everywhere!
I live in a suburb outside of Detroit, Michigan. I have two little girls age 16 months and 4.5 years. I work part time so, I am home with the girls on Mondays and Fridays. My husband works full time. My entire Monday is crazy not just the morning. I love being home with them but the whole day is naps and making food and cleaning up messes so, I would love to see if anyone could make it look pretty!
a) san diego, ca
b) 2 boys, 3.5 yrs and 6 months
c) Both my husband and I work full time. Our oldest son just started preschool full time and the baby stays with my mom who lives in a granny flat next to us or grandpa comes over to watch him. We have been very lucky to have our parents so close to help with the kids. We usually start the routine around 7:40am and are out of the house by 8:20am. We live in a single family home, with two golden retrievers, 8 super heroes and every figurine that Disney makes 🙂
a) ashland, ma
b) 2 kids, ages 3 yr and 4 yr, currently 32 weeks with #3
c) i’m a nurse, and i work mainly weekend evenings. i go to sleep around 2am and wake up around 6:30am. needless to say, i’m not a morning gal. we live in a small ranch with two dogs, 2 cats, and 2 (soon to be 3) kids. we’re working on figuring out how this new little one will fit in to our space and routine, or lack thereof.
a) Durham, NC
b) 4 year old daughter and twin 15 month old girls
c) We wake up around 6:45am and get my husband and 4 year old ready, my husband for work leaving at 7:45 and my daughter for preschool leaving at 8:30. We are also trying to get the house ready one day a week for the speech and feeding therapist that arrives at the house to do therapy with the twins right after preschool drop off (our twins were born 2 months early after an 8 week hospital stay during the end of my pregnancy). I also work from home part time for a women only marketing/PR firm. We live in a suburb near Duke University in a small single family home with our black lab.
I love this idea, and I can’t wait to see the pictures!
A) Columbus, Ohio
B) one son, 11 weeks old
C) My husband and I both work full-time outside of the home, he’s an architect and I am a speech-language pathologist. I get the baby ready in the morning, and my husband takes him to daycare on his way to work.
I live in Lakewood Colorado in a two bedroom one bath apartment with a small yard. We live with my Mom which means I share a room with my daughter,8, and my son,16 months. My daughter goes to school every weekday and lives with her dad on the weekends. My son visits his dad twice a week. I stay home with a small work at home job and my Mom works full time in the evenings. I would love to see how beautiful our mornings are as they feel tired and rushed to me!
a) Waunakee, WI (just north of Madison)
b) Four kids (B-9, B-7, G-4, and B-6 months)
c) SAHM. Baby and 4 year old usually awake around 5:30am. Husband gets big boys up at 6am and leaves for work at 6:15. I get the big boys on the school bus at 7am. I take daughter to pre-school at 8:15am with baby in tow. No help/no family in the area. Very nice home in an affluent town/subdivision.
a) Sudbury, MA (near Boston)
b) Boy-6years Boy-3.5years Girl-13months
c) We live in a small house, the boys share a room and the girl has her own teeny tiny room. We gutted this house and have been rebuilding it ourselves since 2005…but who has the time or $! We both work from home, altho my husband is full-time and I am part time. He’s a web developer, I am a jeweler (in the unfinished attic with drop down stairs!) and a contracted office manager. Oldest is in full-time public kindergarten, middle in preschool 3 half-days a week and girl home. We have 2 elderly dogs, a middle aged cat, and 4 chickens. Our house is a perpetual disaster and LOUD with happiness or sadness and either way the dogs whine along loudly regardless. I thought I was a funny young artist in the city but actually I am a mid-30’s mom of 3 in the ‘burbs. Who woulda thunk it? Fantastic pics and project
a) Sacramento, Ca
b) 2 boys, 3 years and 6 months.
c) One of us gets up (we switch off) about 4:30 or 5am to feed the baby and put him back down for a little bit longer. Then we both wake at 5:45am to get ourselves dressed and as ready as possible before the 3 year old gets up and starts to tell us how he isn’t going to be wearing shoes this day. (news flash, he is.) Both boys are dressed, fed and brushed (teeth and hair) for day care by 7:15! I’m off to work and my husband drops them at daycare around the corner. We also have two dogs and two cats that we water, feed and love before heading out for the day. My lifesaver is my husband, he helps get them ready and takes them to daycare, giving me a moment to prep for dinner that night, so when i get the boys home in the evening… there’s little hassle for dinner at 6! And I get as much time to just “hang out” with them in the evening as our mornings are a little rushed.
a) Metuchen, NJ (about 40 min outside of NYC)
B) 15 month old B/G twins
c) Husband leaves for the train around 7:30 AM, I am a WAHM doing graphic design and digital marketing. I mainly work at night since running after two crazy toddlers (and a dog) leaves me no time during the day and twins rarely nap at the same time for long!
We’d love to show how hectic life can be with multiples!
So exciting! I need this…. I need to see at least one shining moment of motherhood that can be found in the slums of my mornings. And then I will rub that picture in my husbands face as pay back for him getting to leave before the kids get up.
Seems fair yes?!
I live in Maricopa, Az (Little town south of Phoenix).
I am obviously a tightly wound stay at home mom
I have a 3 year old son and almost one year old daughter
Living in Arizona we don’t get the luxury of saving things for later in the day because its bloody hot before noon even hits, so even as a SAHM I have to be up and out the door as soon as I detach the breast pump from my girls just to take full advantage of decent weather. Pick me and your photographer will hate you for sending her here to sweat but I would love you forever!
1. Tewksbury, MA (north of Boston)
2. Two girls, ages 3 1/2 an 1 1/2.
3. We have tried really hard to nail down a routine but every day is a bit different for us. My husband works 7a-3p with Wednesday and Thursday off. He is also in the military and that changes things up, all the time. I work full time m-f but where I work changes each day. I have two different office locations and also work from home a few days. Strangely the days I work from home are more challenging than the days I spend packing up and heading into the office (one in Boston, Ma and one in Portsmoth, Nh). It’s definitely interesting. Emma, my 3 and a half year old is also in school on Tuesdays and Thursdays which brings things to a whole other level! Those are the days I work fr home so that I can drop her off and pick her up from school. In general we are up anywhere between 6a and 7:30a. , Then we go with the flow.
Looking forward to seeing all the photos to come!! 🙂 thanks
This is so exciting and I would LOVE to be a Monday morning mom. I live in Chicago, Illinois. I have one son who is now 11 months old. My husband, son, and I live in a 2 bedroom apartment. Currently, I get up at 4:50 because I am still pumping (but only for 5 more weeks) I leave the house at 6:45 to take my son to daycare so I can be at work around 7. I am a teacher. My husband leaves at 7:30 via bicycle, although he works from home on Mondays only. I will be teaching for 7 more weeks then I will be on summer break for approximately 9 weeks before starting a new school year.
Jamestown,NY
Married to my high school sweetheart, have one almost 2 year old boy who sleeps with his trusty kangaroo
We just bought our first house last May and we are working on renovations, chasing (our sons name is Chase) a toddler and two orange cats.
We both work full time. I run an after school program, and my husband is an attorney for local legal aid. Our Monday mornings consist of stocking diaper bags, putting on mud boots and singing “Happy” multiple times.
I live near Los Angeles, CA and I have a 2 year old boy. My husband and I both work 30 mi away and he leaves before we even wake up. My son goes to a daycare. I always worry I being hard on my son every morning because LA traffic gives me 5 minutes before the crazies take over the roads. We live in a 3 bedroom and are out the door by 8:30 am.
I am a stay at home/work at home mom to four girls ages 10, 8, 6, and 4. We live a a small neighborhood (Leechburg) North of Pittsburgh, PA. My husband is an electrician and is usually out the door at the ungodly hour of 5:15 am and then the girls and I start our day a couple of hours later. We live Iin a two story, single family home. And we have a big friendly 6 year old Boxer in the mix as well! I am a blogger and free-lancer BTW.
Super fun!
My family lives in Montgomery, IL. (A far west suburb of Chicago)
I have two boys–5 and 1
My husband and I both work. I commute into Chicago via train every day. My boys both go to daycare. My husband drops us all off in our respective places. We all get up together as a family around 5am and are out the door by 6:15am every day. Mornings are a mad dash and never exactly the same… except for two constants: My 5yo never remembers to flush the toilet, and I’m always the last one ready!
(I can picture the photo now… my three guys sitting exasperatedly in the car waiting for slowpoke wife/mom, haha!)
a) We live in Raleigh, NC
b) I have two children. A 3.75 year old little boy and a 2.5 year old girl.
c) My husband is usually out the door before any of us are awake. My daughter usually gets up by 7am and somehow entertains herself for about 30 minutes before she will come wake me up. My son is a sleepy head and usually isn’t awake until 8am or so. I stay at home with them during the day but work from home at night to help pay the bills. I also teach French at my son’s preschool one day a week. My son goes to preschool 2 days a week. When he doesn’t go to school, we usually have playdates scheduled to keep us all busy. Oh and we have two large dogs thrown into the mix which is always fun in a very small house.
1) Louisville, KY
2) Two girls, ages 5 1/2 and 23 months old.
3) I am a sahm to my girls. My biggest is in Kindergarten and my little stays home with me. My husband is building a new business so is home very often but gets up with us in the morning to help with the morning routine. We just moved back to the States after living for years in London, England. We’re hoping to actually be moving into a house of our own in the next month or so and will probably be living amongst boxes for months after that! We are up most mornings by 5:45am and have to be walking out the door at 7:30 to make it to school on-time.
Congratulations! I look forward to seeing your series! I am a CHICAGO mom with a 4 year old daughter. I recently started following you on your blog and on Instagram and really enjoy your posts. Thanks for introducing the world to Mayhem and her mom -I follow them now too. I live in Chicago, on the northwest side of the city, not far from Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. We live in a modern 1600 sq foot 2 bedroom condo. I work long hours as a TV writer/producer so the mornings are precious to me. Occasionally I wake up before my daughter and I love when I do because I get to see her stumble out of her room, sleep still in her eyes, hair tousled and she runs into my arms for a big bear hug. I make a pot of coffee, attempt not to drink all of it, she drinks milk and I read her a book before I leave for work and then my husand or the babysitter steps in for the rest of the day. Before I leave, we do a somewhat elaborate good-bye complete with the “kissing hand” routine (from the book by the same name). Good luck with your series!
LOVE this idea!
A) Frederick, MD
B) 2-ish girls. One is 18 months and usually has pig tails and the other is 9 and called the “furry sister” (our dog)
C) My husband generally leaves about 7:00 in the morning for his commute to DC, I usually get up about that time and have coffee with the dog (who is unusually jealous of the actual child, but nice about it). Once my daughter gets up, she picks out her clothes, gets dressed, we grab a bottle of milk, and we’re off for the dog’s first walk of the day. Once we get home we have breakfast and go to the park, a friend’s house, or run errands. I tried starting a home business when she was born so I could always be there for her – I hadn’t wanted children and wasn’t particularly thrilled when i found out I was pregnant – but it turned out I really liked being a mom and was actually pretty good at it. Now, I can’t figure out why I didn’t do this sooner. She is the most amazing person I’ve ever met and I’m so much better for it.
a) Sacramento, California
b) 1 little girl age 4 and a 6 1/2 year old yorkie. We all sleep in the same bed.
c) morning routine— My husband works out of town most of the week so our Mondays start at 4 a.m. He’s on the road by 5 when I’m starting my day. I’m supposed to be at work by 7 but we’re late. Every. Single. Day. Our little girl goes to pre school 3 days a week and grandparents house the other days. I also work full time and also run a photography business full time. The house is small. Always messy.
Mahwah, NJ
Two boys (almost 4 and 8 months).
We live in a two bedroom, rental condo. My husband and I are both teachers and my mom watches the boys during the day. My hubby does a HUGE amount of getting the boys ready in the morning and we are up at about 5:30 AM and out the door (me by 6:30) and he and the boys by about 6:50.
San Jose, CA
One daughter, 15 months and 2 very needy large dogs:)
I do freelance work from home part time and have help come in three mornings a week (one day being my mother-in-law.). We are usually up at seven and actually get to hang out as a family in the mornings (though in often let my hub sleep in on weekdays). He has a very flexible schedule so he’s leaves the house around 9:30 and on Mondays in particular, I head into the office for a sales meeting. Two other days a week we have a sitter and I work at a coffee shop and two days a week, the mornings totally belong to my daughter. I say I have the best and worst of both worlds. Our house is wonderful- built in 1928 and small and we are always working on it so usually there are half done projects going or a vegeta le garden torn up by the hounds. It’s chaotic here but wonderful;)
I would looove this. I thought the photos were so lovely and unique to capture real life and love. Not sure if we fit but, we live in Cincinnati, Ohio. We have one incredibly active 7.5 month old named Zoey. I am finishing my masters degree doing clinical at children’s hospital and Shawn does construction. We usually get up together, I dress baby, dad packs our lunches. On days I do home care I take her to daycare, the other two he takes her. 1 lovely day of the week Zoey and I sleep in and I get to be stay at home mom! My favorite day. No nanny just us and the baby and the dog 🙂
I’ve loved this series and am so excited to see it go on the road.
a) Carlsbad, CA (30 min north of San Diego)
b) My daughter is 2 and my son is 5
c) We’re still adjusting from our move from NYC to this SoCal wonderland and into our dream house. Back in NY our family of 4 was crammed into a 915 sq ft apt (son slept in nursery/home office; hubs and I slept on a pullout in the living room; daughter took over the master bedroom). Now our entire apt could literally fit into our master suite.
I’m a full-time working mom with a really crappy commute so mornings are very rushed. My son, for whatever reason, needs to be reminded to get through every step of his morning routine. My daughter is often very sweet-snuggly in the morning unless she’s hangry. Knowing how little time I have to spend with them each morning makes me want to slow down and be more patient, and soak in the hugs and sleepiness. Unfortunately, most mornings I’m playing drill sergeant.
My husband works from home, but is often traveling or on conference calls starting early in the morning. When he’s available to help or do the kid drop-offs the mornings are easier. He tries to, at least, see us off with a wave at the door or closing the garage door for us before running back into his office to go on with his day.
Since I’m usually the photographer there are plenty of pics of the kids and kids+hubs. I would love to see all those little moments captured with me actually in them, no matter how fleeting in our chaotic mornings.
Ganesvoort NY (near Saratoga Springs– we are just in the process of moving to a bigger house now)
2 1/2 year old daughter and one on the way, due in October
We get up between 5:30 & 7:30. My husband leaves for work between 6 & 7, some days we miss him and some days we get to wake him up. I am a SAHM, so I shuttle my daughter off to various activities at various times most mornings. I always feel like our mornings are unexciting as we have breakfast and take time to wake up, and then getting ready — dressed and hair brushed– usually involves multiple fights and tantrums…
c) any information you think might be relevant to your morning routine— what time you and/or your partner leave for work, whether your children stay at home/are in , some dyas we miss him and some days we get to wake him up.daycare/go to school/etc., if you work at home, if you have a baby on the way, if you are a single mom, if you have live-in help, if you have extended family at home, if you live in a small space, if you live in a colossal mansion, etc.
a) Louisville, KY
b) 2 children – 3 and 1
c) My husband leaves at 6:40 in the morning, so it is just me and the two kids to get ready everyday. We live in a cute little area of Louisville in a craftsman’s style home. I am a realtor/mommy/math tutor. My daughter goes to school two days a week. My daughter gets up at 6:00…yet we are always racing to not be late.
Hi! I loved seeing this pictures and would love to have the chance to be part of them!
We live in Boston in a neighborhood called Dorchester. I have one son, Ben, 21 months but am expecting another baby this fall. We also have a sweet beagle named Ginger who is 5 and really “the easy kid” since she doesn’t wear clothes.
Most days, my husband is around to help with the getting ready process but I feel like it’s such a production either way! I am a consultant and starting my own car seat education business here so I’m juggling a million things work wise and trying to be a great mom like everyone else. 🙂 My son goes to daycare most days (I work 50-100% time each week depending on my projects) so the drive there usually involves singing and counting dogs and trucks. We usually drop dad off at the train on the way. We are lucky to have a small house in the city on an even smaller lot- we like to tell our suburban friends it’s 0.08 acres of land. Anyway, I would love to be part of this and either way, can’t wait to see the photos that come out of it. Love them!
Not sure if you are interested in coming to Dayton, Ohio, but that’s where I am. My husband and I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old, both girls. I stay at home, my husband is in the Air Force and out the door by 7a and my daughter goes to preschool Mon-Thurs at 9a thru May. It just depends on which child is sleeping in or waking early who does what in the morning. We live on base housing but it’s off base (no gates or checkpoints to go thru) and it’s a 2-story, 3 bedroom townhome with our 100+ lb dog and 2 cats.
YAY! Wish I was in the US just for this, but since I’m not I would like to nominate my sister who lives in:
A)Houston, Texas
B)With her 3 kids ages 5 months, 5 years and 7 years
C)Her and her husband are both nurses with alternating schedules so one of them is home with the kids while the other is at work
D)I always tell her I want to see more photos of my new niece on FB, but since she doesn’t take enough (3rd child syndrome LOL)I figured this is a good opportunity for someone else to take them
E)I want to see her shriek with pure excitement and absolute horror when I tell her a stranger is coming to take pictures of her mornings!
Please choose HOUSTON, TEXAS! Everything is bigger in Texas….including the chaos of Monday Mornings! 😉
Hi! I have one son who is 16 months old. He goes to daycare at Vanderbilt University, where I work in Nashville TN. My husband is an electrician and works all over the city and surrounding area. Some mornings we carpool and leave about 6:30 am, others he leaves at 5:30 am. Mornings range from me doing everything (when he has a job far away) to us both getting everyone ready and leaving together. We have 2 dogs, 3 chickens, and a lovebird, which Malachai (my son) loves! We are all morning people which is good because we have to leave so early – we regularly get up at 5:15!