It's all part of the process, people... Just part of the process.

My day doesn't start until I have my latte in front of me. Or beside me if I'm on the computer. I may have just gotten the kids off to school. Or it may be as late as noon. I may have gone for a run, had a shower, and cleaned up the upstairs.

Officially, though, until this little gizmo

has warmed up and pumped and frothed, I haven't started my day. I love my coffee. But I don't just drink it to drink it.

I don't roll out of bed and stumble into the kitchen to brew the beans. I don't drink coffee in my bathrobe. Actually I don't have a bathrobe, which is beside the point, but I don't drink coffee in my jammies either. Before I get to have my coffee I have to get ready to move on with my day. I don't like finding my day gone before I've realized it's even started.

I make my bed, including all the little throw pillows (the R doesn't necessarily include putting on the 7 little pillows as making the bed when he does it). I shower unless I'm going for a run after walking the kids to school. I get dressed, dry my hair, put on a bit of makeup before going down the stairs to make breakfasts and lunches. If I don't do this invariably my hair will dry on it's own and be unstyleable until the next morning after my shower. Again, beside the point. But it's part of why I do things the way I do them.

My husband doesn't get my need for this type of trivial order any more than he understands the N wants the blue cup, J wants the yellow cup, M wants to green cup and NO ONE wants the pink cup ( I say, just let them drink out of whatever cups they want! Stop trying to mix it up.). He doesn't see that while I do know it doesn't really matter if the bed isn't made yet (yes I do know that the world will keep spinning regardless) it is something that is hanging over my head. It impedes my ability to relax and to savor the other aspects of my day. I'm a chores first, play later kind of person. I enjoy the playing so much more when I know I've done whatever else I needed to do.

Just like I enjoy the rich, creamy, foamy, cinnamon-y taste of my latte, still warm because I just made it and didn't have to run off to find the lunch boxes, remind people to find their hats, boots, and take home folders, run upstairs to find my watch, only to find the bed unmade, make the bed, run downstairs forgetting my watch, running upstairs again to get it,.... You see...I need routine. I need some order. That and my coffee time help keep me sane and in a little bit of peace with myself and my little corner of the world.