Morning time with Toby; A comedy of errors

I am not about to pretend that I know what it is like to have children. I do however know what it is like to have a toddler-esque creature to care for… and all the toddler-esque baggage that comes with it. Getting out the door in the morning with Toby can be a challenge… my alarm goes off earlier and earlier in the morning, because quite frankly, I need more time!  Thankfully my work schedule is a little flexible, and most days I don’t have to be anywhere by 9AM (just 9AM-ish) but getting the two of us out the door is definitely a comedy of errors.

Firstly, I am not a morning person. Never have been. Neither is Toby. When I first brought him home, he was up at 7AM like clock work… but the older he gets, the longer he sleeps in, and it mostly works out pretty well. He is still snoring when I hop in the shower, and I can usually get mostly ready while he is still in his crate. Waking him up and getting him to motivate it a little bit of a challenge though. He often looks exactly how I feel… groggy, grumpy, and so so angry to be awake. He grunts and moans, and stares off into space for at least 15 minutes everyday after he wakes up. He will occasionally come out of his crate on his own, but most mornings I have to bribe him with love and dog treats. And that is sort of how the rest of the morning goes… he is a slow mover, and rather stubborn. Sometimes he hurries, but most times he dawdles… especially when I am already running late.

And then we get to the loading of the car….For those of you who have seen my car, you know it is a mess. I looks like I live in there, and sometimes it feels like I do. I know my parents are constantly alarmed that I don’t empty it or clean it out more… but there is only so much time & energy I’m willing to devote to carrying things to and from my car… and I draw the line at 20 trips a day…

Toby and I have a lot of baggage (yes, some of it might be emotional) but when I am at work all day, and the dog comes along, he has his own full bag full of toys, treats, brushes, bowls, baby wipes, ointments… (I’m serious, he is like a toddler) Plus if I have to take his food with me, I tend to just take the entire bag Yes, I’m aware that normal people would probably just put dog food in a ziplock bag and add it to his already existing “diaper bag” but I happen to be out of ziplock bags right now, and when you are shopping on a budget, ziplock bags are pretty far down the list… I’d much rather buy coffee, thank you very much. Anyway, the entire bag of dog food comes along. So does his travel crate.  (that is 2-3 trips to the car)

I then have to pack my lap top,  any notes for work, yoga bag, lunch bag, water bottle, purse, extra clothes, and additional yoga basket. This is the downside of having your own business… you always have to carry around waver forms, punch cards, a cash box, notebook, ipod, etc. Then add into the mix that I usually have a cup of coffee in my hand, as well as a smoothie… and we are literally looking at 5-6 trips just to load up the car, and an additional trip just to get the bulldog leashed up and loaded in… all hopefully without spilling the coffee, and without the bulldog eating the smoothie. (he has a love of yogurt, fruit, and straws… )

Once I get out to work, it’s the same circus. Unloading me and my coffee, the dog crate, dog bag, multiple yoga bags and props, change of clothing, laptop, lunch, water bottle, and then of course the bulldog.  And I get to do it all again at the end of the work day, and once more when I get home…

It’s all worth it though. Toby is the best, my work is really flexible, and if it all means carrying around a little bit of extra baggage, I’m willing to cope with it. But if you are every driving by my house in the morning, you might see running back and forth most likely dragging a bulldog, and muttering under my breath “we are so late, move it or lose it!”