What DO You Do?

So, over New Year's I got to thinking. Scary, I know, but sometimes useful. One of the many things I thought about was my complete and total lack of a daily routine. I think a lot of this stems from the years of having so many little people that just slept at all different hours, were up at different times and my exhaustion at that time. But now that they are bigger, I never implemented a real routine to our day.

My twins get up at 7:30 on the dot everyday. My oldest girl gets up anywhere from 7:30 to 9:00. My middle kid gets up no earlier than 8:30. I don't know that this is really all that big of a deal, but it's starting to create some difficulties.

For instance, the twins want to eat as soon as they get up, as does my oldest girl. So I am essentially making 4 breakfasts a day, mine and Kevin's, the twins, KayCee and then Lainee (whenever she drags her hiney out of bed). Or, when bedtime rolls around, the twins are exhausted and Lainee isn't. She gets out of bed a million times, keeping her sisters awake. This makes the next morning even harder because everyone is so grouchy and tired. It's been like this for a year. Enough is enough. I need some help, some ideas, some inspiration.

I know that because we don't have to get up and get KayCee out the door to school that our situation is somewhat different from a lot of people, but still the fact remains that this isn't working for anyone and it isn't good for us (personally and as a family) to keep living our easy going hippie lifestyle we are currently employing. (Not that this doesn't work for families, it just doesn't work for OUR family) Nothing is getting done and what little we do accomplish everyday is only due to my constant nagging.

Which brings me to my second question: Do your children have chores? What do you expect them to do? What happens when they don't do it?

I envision a well oiled family machine: everyone up, hot breakfast eaten, get dressed for the day, brush teeth and hair, start our chores and then school followed by some free time before the dinner prep has to start.

We have NEVER one time accomplished this.

We have never even tried. But I keep dreaming of the day when this is our normal.

My Monday morning question to you is this:

Do you have a set daily routine? If so, what (generally) is it?