The Rigors of the Day
Glug, glug, glug, glug, glug. It’s 5 a.m. in the morning and Karl, 46, also known as Papa, stands at the kitchen counter pouring juice into his 2-year old grandson’s colorful sippy cup. After putting the juice container away, he carries the sippy cup to the bedroom he and his wife share with Alex, his grandson.

It is standard procedure that the little man leaves his own bed and snuggles in with Papa and Mama during the wee hours of the night. As Alex lies in bed with Mama (Theresa), Karl places the sippy cup on the bedside table and firmly plants a pillow against Alex to prevent him from rolling to the opposite edge of the bed.

“It’s pretty normal,” Karl explained. “By 5:15 a.m., I’m out the door and going to work.”

Five days a week, Theresa, 44, hits the ground running. In the morning, she helps her son, Ethan, who attends grade school, and daughter, Maria, who is in high school, with their morning regimens all the while attending to her grandson’s needs. In addition, she gets herself ready for a busy day at work.