the drama of life

I don't know how everyone else's mornings go, but here is a snapshot of how pretty much EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL DAY MORNING goes at my house:

I wake up. I wake up my oldest son. I wake up my two daughters. My oldest girl* wakes up right away and starts talking about school, the bus, eating breakfast, getting dressed. I then tell my other daughter to wake up again because she is always still sleepy, but then she gets up too. I then proceed to go re-wake up my oldest son.  I go get dressed or start making sandwiches, then go re-wake up that little monkey again**.  He whines about how he is tired and I either yell at him and take his blankets away or give him a pep talk that sounds like this, "Son, don't you want to be happy?  Why do you continue to make our mornings miserable?", etc. He gets up, proceeds to mock and bother his younger sister and by this time our little preschooler is awake and participating in the tag teaming on the poor girl sandwiched between them in the birth order of things. Then, we eat breakfast, my big girl gets on her bus, and between the three younger children there always seems to be someone irritated, yelling, or whining until they leave for school. 

Is this normal people?  I seriously have to tune it out, remove myself from amongst them at times, and pretty much feel like I am surrounded by people who do not care one whit what I am saying to them. 

I might sound bitter and angry, but it is only temporary.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being a mom.  It truly is the best job a woman could have.  My teaching aspirations fill me with excitement and fulfillment as I get closer to reaching my goal, but none of it can compare with how fantastic I feel when my children are doing well in school, telling me they love me, and making me little goofy love notes.

Yesterday, for example, had the same exact morning as today and last Monday through Friday. Yet, in the afternoon I heard each of my children tell me that they love me about 2-3 times within a thirty minute period. They were playing, doing chores and homework, and thinking about me.  I love them dearly.

It just feels so bi-polar.  Too bi-polar to be normal, but is it? 

Let me know if you have any tactics that really work in your home.

I am ready for the monotony to end.

explanatory notes: 

*my oldest daughter who is absolutely angelic in her desire to get up with the sun and nags at me to help her get ready to leave for school is AUTISTIC. Who would have thought that could have some amazingly good qualities to it? She is a light in our home.

**my oldest son suffers from ADHD and suffers is the right term to use. poor guy.