Morning Routines in Our Van with a Toddler
Waking up in our king-sized bed is always an adventure, dictated by who opens their eyes first.
If it’s Grace, our day kicks off with a series of familiar, often hilarious rituals. Lach and I groggily roll aside, clinging to the hope it’s not yet time to wake up. If it’s still dark, I find myself whispering a little prayer for her to go back to sleep.
I try patting her back gently, but soon enough, she sits up, maybe whining about her sleep suit or a full nappy. If we're still playing possum, she hits the switch on the super bright lights, perfectly installed at toddler height by our childless van builder. (I often dream of ripping these expensive little lights right off the wall!)
The sudden shock of light always has us groaning, "TOO BRIGHT!" If we happen to wake up first and open the skylight, Grace, in her groggy, angelic voice, will also protests, "No, too bright!”
If we’re still being lazy, Grace pulls down our window coverings, flooding the van with even more light. This always gets us scrambling to shut them and turn off the lights - for fear of outsiders seeing in.
Once we've accepted our fate, we roll over, turn on our phones, and check the time, scrolling a bit despite knowing it’s terrible morning etiquette.
At this point, Grace asks for "cave," and we all snuggle under the blankets. If one of us tries to escape, her sweet little voice demands, "Where mummy go?" Sometimes we cuddle, sometimes we watch YouTube.
In winter, the battle over who gets up first is fierce. I always lose, crawling out of bed in search of warm clothes. Before dressing, I make a pit stop at our "loo"—not a traditional one, but our high-tech, eco-friendly, low water use plastic bottle. Ah, the quirky joys of van life.
Grace soon follows, and we change her nappy and get her dressed. By now, she’s demanding snacks, so I send her to the cab with Lach while I set up our impressive coffee machine. Nothing beats a proper coffee in the morning.
If we’re having a leisurely morning, we might watch the sunrise on the beach, with Grace playing in the sand, watching dogs, and occasionally spotting a majestic whale.
Breakfast usually consists of eggs or simple banana pancakes cooked on our tiny camp stove. Morning chores include preparing lunches and snacks, messaging my best friend with every thought that pops into my head, sorting rubbish, and tidying up.
Living in a microhome comes with countless challenges and fascinating experiences. Time feels different—days are packed with activities, making weeks and months stretch longer and fuller. We’ve only been in the van for three and a half months, but it feels like a lifetime, filled with richer, more meaningful living since moving into our tiny home on wheels.
