Five Things on Friday - Gettin' Up Edition

Brynna is not a morning person. She gets this honest, as The Husband and I are decidedly not morning people either. Getting her up in the morning is like being a human snooze alarm. I go in and wake her three or four times before her little bottom actually removes itself from the sheets. It takes a decent chunk out of my morning.

Then, when she actually does get up, she often pretends helplessness. "I can't dress myself," or "I can only work plastic buttons," are favorites. My response to this is to yell (which precipitates a very time consuming crying jag), to nag (which is time consuming in and of itself) or to suck it up and help her with the freakin' button. Which means that to some small extent, I am still dressing my six year old.

This morning, however, I walked in, whispered five little words and she sprung out of bed like her sheets had caught fire and virtually flew to the living room. What were those magic words, you ask? "The princess is getting married." That's right, my kids leapt out of bed this morning to see the royal wedding.

In honor of no nagging, reminding, or yelling and having a child awake enough to entirely dress herself, I will share:

Five Things Guaranteed to Get My Kid Out of Bed

1. Chocolate - Once in a while, I make chocolate chip muffins for breakfast and on birthdays, we have cupcakes for breakfast. (Yes, I'm that mom.) On those days, I can tell my little bedbug that there's chocolate with her name on it in the kitchen and then simply step back as a vaguely Brynna-shaped blur hurtles out of her bedroom. I, personally, don't like chocolate for breakfast. I don't like a too-sweet breakfast, but it is an amazing motivator for her.

2. Presents - When my little brother, D was about five, he refused to get up on Christmas morning and then he proceeded to cry about how much he wanted to go back to bed all through the present opening. This is something I've never had to worry about with my kids. "Santa was here," can be muttered in the hallway and both bedroom doors will open and they will shove their way to the bathroom and present ready and bright eyed in less than a minute. Same for the Easter Bunny.

3. Grandparents - If the girls get to spend the day with one of their grandparents, they will beat me out of the bed. (Not hard to do if it's a weekend). They absolutely cannot get to Papaw and NiNi's house or MawMaw's house fast enough. I appreciate this, as it not only eliminates my morning fight, but also previews a glorious kid-free day.

4. Fashion - This is where I'm putting the wedding. Because let's face it... Kid didn't care about Kate or William, she wanted to see that dress. So did I. Any time Brynna knows she's going to be wearing or seeing other people wear fabulous clothes, she is all over it. From Easter dresses to Halloween costumes, she is all about the unusual clothing. If I could afford to give her something new to wear every day, I'd never have this fight again.

5. Firsts - Brynna can be shy, terribly, crippling shy, but she is always up for an adventure. The first day of school, the first day of camp, the first day of underwater basket weaving, whatever - she's up for it. I actually admire this about her. I have a hard time getting motivated for change, but not her, motivation comes easy. Talking to people once she gets there is another matter, but motivation is not a problem.

So, how about you? What are your guaranteed methods for the not-morning people around you? Or do you just not have any?