For memory's sake and just for fun I though I would blog about a day in the life of our home. Not always terribly exciting, but I always find it fun to read about other mom's days, so here it goes.
Alarm goes off at 5:30 and I terribly struggle to get going. A 30 second check of email on my phone, then it is to Jesus Calling. After that I take to reviewing my Downline notes (the 5 categories of the Bible - Anticipation, Manifestation, Proclamation, Explanation, Consummation), then another breakdown of the Bible (creation, patriarchs, exodus, conquests, judges, kingdoms,exile, return, silence). Towards the end of my time, Katie came in to use the bathroom because the hall bath was stopped up. I make a mental note and sigh deeply inwardly.
Up to make bed and put in contacts, all the while sensing I am not in the right mood.
I check messages to see if it just so happened that someone had tickets to tonites football game, but realizing as tired as I am that probably wouldn't be a good idea. (Being a grown-up ain't always fun.)
Katie decides she is willing to wait on blueberry muffins for breakfast, so I put those in while she goes outside to visit Bear. I look several times at the new hole he has dug, wondering when I'll get to that. I step several times over the cardboard boxes needing to be put in recycle box. Katie is now asking to play with play doh, then on my phone, then on the computer. It isn't quite 7:00 yet. I tell her no to all of the above then she proceeds to throw a fit. She goes to her room. I make our list on the board of what to do today, wonder where Sara Beth is (her ipod battery died, so her alarm didn't go off), check on Jake who is doing his quiet time and required reading in bed before he gets up. Katie is out of her room, then proceeds to throw another fit about why she can't play and has to do chores, etc first. Back to her room she goes. It is now 7:00.
As I am starting a load of towels, David calls- in response to my text moments earlier asking for prayer today. We talk about things to do to make our days simpler. Our labor day weekend will be spent getting life in order (purging, clothes shopping, cleaning, meal planning, etc). As I get off the phone with him, and I am finishing starting the load of towels, Sara Beth comes down with a science question about seasons and times in different hemispheres. I tell her my brain isn't in school mode yet, we'll get to it in a big. It's only 7:20.
The kids eat breakfast, I look out the window again at the new hole and stuff strewn all over, and begin grading schoolwork from yesterday. They finish and I make my coffee, grab my book, and eat the leftovers from breakfast. My 10 minutes before my day really starts. As soon as I take my first sip, Jake comes to tell me the toilet is stopped up. Oh, yeah. I decide it can wait. I enjoy my 10 minutes immensely. Start dishwasher, keep kids on task, say no to bringing Bear inside, clarify time the Algebra tutor (ie Grandma) will be here, get new toothpaste for Jake which he is thrilled about because it has a cool top, unstop toilet, notice dirty toilet mentally thankful that tomorrow is bathroom day, sigh as I continue to notice dirt and clutter everywhere. Yes, I am tired. That usually happens when I am tired.
I decide that this day needs remembering, for whatever reason.
I'm back for another update- Grandma, the Algebra tutor, arrives, I start the dryer, then I cuddle on the couch for reading and school with Katie-bug. We have fun giggling at Ramona being afraid of not being noticed as the "baddest witch ever", being pleased as Franklin includes his friends in his secret club, and empathize with Imogene and her antlers. Then we dive in to learning about the Jews and the Masada. (Yeah, I didn't know much about that either). She then read to me and she went off to finish her school work. I chatted with Tutor Grandma as we talked calendars. We finally let Bear in and gave him the plastic muffin cup container to entertain himself. Checked on towels, and the needed another round of drying.
It was then 10, time that I get together with the two big kids to go over, teach, explain, etc. Today was an "off" day, but double checked to make sure no one had any questions. Bear not cooperating in kitchen, so to the kennel he goes with treats. Katie asked to play a game, and for the first time since school started three weeks ago I saw a moment "free" so I said yes. We played Creationary, while Sara Beth layed on the floor by us doig her grammer, listening to Bear snore. Jake jumped into the game, I left to grade papers. Grabbed a snack and began grading. Done.
Although there are plenty of things to do (more than this momma can get done), things at the moment don't feel as pressing as they did at 7 this morning. I can tell that my loved ones are praying.
Now, since I have to be in the public this afternoon, to the shower I must go.
In my shower, I was keeping an eye on our shower head which has been sporadically spraying the ceiling. It shoots out everywhere (it is obviously broken) and we have noticed it hitting the ceiling some. As I look up to check on it, water gets in my eye and messes up my contact. I can't do anything about it cause my hands are covered in conditioner. It works itself back finally.
I re-enter life in the rest of the house. The kids are practicing the songs they will have to sing for drama class today. The picked songs, or not picked songs, sure point out the personality of my kds. Only Katie gave me a true rehearsal. Time for lunch. Bear goes and we fix gourmet corn dogs with veggies and fruit. I go over the strict instructions for the afternoon before we go our separate ways for rest and reading.
Ahh, the bliss. I lay down on the couch where it is peaceful and I get a bit of reading in. (By the way, this is a mandatory part of our day.....for me.) At 1:30, it's hustle to get swim stuff together, finish a game, get a snack and get out the door. I grab some various things to work on while the kids are in class and practice, and remember to print out a menu planner before heading out the door.
Drop kids off at drama, then head to the bookstore. This is now my weekly one hour of sanity. Ooh, and I discovered a new drink- white chocolate mocha frapp. Yumm. Read some magazines for fun and review my lesson plan book. Head to get kids. Kids drama running late. Rush home to let out Bear (this seems to be a running theme here, doesn't it) and have kids change. Rush out to swim. Hit every stinking red light but made it only a couple of minutes late. Sweat to death in aquatic center, but menu plan, clean out emails, and read for about 10 min. Battle rush hour traffic home.
David beat me home, so he had veggies started and oven on. I pop fish in the oven, start noodles boiling and fix a quick lettuce-and-cheese-only salad for those who want it. David works on sprinklers, one of which was stopped up with a caterpillars nest. (That's not something you say everyday). We sit down to eat with very loud children, who for some reason find dinner-prep time and just sitting down time the best time to launch into long stories of great importance.
Dinner is conquered, kitchen cleaned. For our after dinner entertainment, I let Bear in the living room. He is a wild maniac. Until I bring out treats and begin training. He then becomes the family dog we dream of. Of course, I am occasionally checking the score of the football game (currently 24-0, of course the Dawgs are winning). Because we are watering the yard, Bear has to go out on a leash (boy this is getting old). Iwrestle and overtake put the leash on and he manages to do his business in a very timely manner.
Get two kids tucked in, plop with laptop in lap, of course checking score. I am getting ready to rub David's back, as it is sore from all of his tractor riding.
Very soon, we are headed to bed. David and I have be somewhere at 6 in the morning. Yes you read that correctly. Be there at 6. That is another post that I can't wait to tell you about.
So, a little back rubbing to work out the kinks and maybe a little book reading and it is to bed I go. Just counting the hours till I get to do it all over again.
Alarm goes off at 5:30 and I terribly struggle to get going. A 30 second check of email on my phone, then it is to Jesus Calling. After that I take to reviewing my Downline notes (the 5 categories of the Bible - Anticipation, Manifestation, Proclamation, Explanation, Consummation), then another breakdown of the Bible (creation, patriarchs, exodus, conquests, judges, kingdoms,exile, return, silence). Towards the end of my time, Katie came in to use the bathroom because the hall bath was stopped up. I make a mental note and sigh deeply inwardly.
Up to make bed and put in contacts, all the while sensing I am not in the right mood.
I check messages to see if it just so happened that someone had tickets to tonites football game, but realizing as tired as I am that probably wouldn't be a good idea. (Being a grown-up ain't always fun.)
Katie decides she is willing to wait on blueberry muffins for breakfast, so I put those in while she goes outside to visit Bear. I look several times at the new hole he has dug, wondering when I'll get to that. I step several times over the cardboard boxes needing to be put in recycle box. Katie is now asking to play with play doh, then on my phone, then on the computer. It isn't quite 7:00 yet. I tell her no to all of the above then she proceeds to throw a fit. She goes to her room. I make our list on the board of what to do today, wonder where Sara Beth is (her ipod battery died, so her alarm didn't go off), check on Jake who is doing his quiet time and required reading in bed before he gets up. Katie is out of her room, then proceeds to throw another fit about why she can't play and has to do chores, etc first. Back to her room she goes. It is now 7:00.
As I am starting a load of towels, David calls- in response to my text moments earlier asking for prayer today. We talk about things to do to make our days simpler. Our labor day weekend will be spent getting life in order (purging, clothes shopping, cleaning, meal planning, etc). As I get off the phone with him, and I am finishing starting the load of towels, Sara Beth comes down with a science question about seasons and times in different hemispheres. I tell her my brain isn't in school mode yet, we'll get to it in a big. It's only 7:20.
The kids eat breakfast, I look out the window again at the new hole and stuff strewn all over, and begin grading schoolwork from yesterday. They finish and I make my coffee, grab my book, and eat the leftovers from breakfast. My 10 minutes before my day really starts. As soon as I take my first sip, Jake comes to tell me the toilet is stopped up. Oh, yeah. I decide it can wait. I enjoy my 10 minutes immensely. Start dishwasher, keep kids on task, say no to bringing Bear inside, clarify time the Algebra tutor (ie Grandma) will be here, get new toothpaste for Jake which he is thrilled about because it has a cool top, unstop toilet, notice dirty toilet mentally thankful that tomorrow is bathroom day, sigh as I continue to notice dirt and clutter everywhere. Yes, I am tired. That usually happens when I am tired.
I decide that this day needs remembering, for whatever reason.
I'm back for another update- Grandma, the Algebra tutor, arrives, I start the dryer, then I cuddle on the couch for reading and school with Katie-bug. We have fun giggling at Ramona being afraid of not being noticed as the "baddest witch ever", being pleased as Franklin includes his friends in his secret club, and empathize with Imogene and her antlers. Then we dive in to learning about the Jews and the Masada. (Yeah, I didn't know much about that either). She then read to me and she went off to finish her school work. I chatted with Tutor Grandma as we talked calendars. We finally let Bear in and gave him the plastic muffin cup container to entertain himself. Checked on towels, and the needed another round of drying.
It was then 10, time that I get together with the two big kids to go over, teach, explain, etc. Today was an "off" day, but double checked to make sure no one had any questions. Bear not cooperating in kitchen, so to the kennel he goes with treats. Katie asked to play a game, and for the first time since school started three weeks ago I saw a moment "free" so I said yes. We played Creationary, while Sara Beth layed on the floor by us doig her grammer, listening to Bear snore. Jake jumped into the game, I left to grade papers. Grabbed a snack and began grading. Done.
Although there are plenty of things to do (more than this momma can get done), things at the moment don't feel as pressing as they did at 7 this morning. I can tell that my loved ones are praying.
Now, since I have to be in the public this afternoon, to the shower I must go.
In my shower, I was keeping an eye on our shower head which has been sporadically spraying the ceiling. It shoots out everywhere (it is obviously broken) and we have noticed it hitting the ceiling some. As I look up to check on it, water gets in my eye and messes up my contact. I can't do anything about it cause my hands are covered in conditioner. It works itself back finally.
I re-enter life in the rest of the house. The kids are practicing the songs they will have to sing for drama class today. The picked songs, or not picked songs, sure point out the personality of my kds. Only Katie gave me a true rehearsal. Time for lunch. Bear goes and we fix gourmet corn dogs with veggies and fruit. I go over the strict instructions for the afternoon before we go our separate ways for rest and reading.
Ahh, the bliss. I lay down on the couch where it is peaceful and I get a bit of reading in. (By the way, this is a mandatory part of our day.....for me.) At 1:30, it's hustle to get swim stuff together, finish a game, get a snack and get out the door. I grab some various things to work on while the kids are in class and practice, and remember to print out a menu planner before heading out the door.
Drop kids off at drama, then head to the bookstore. This is now my weekly one hour of sanity. Ooh, and I discovered a new drink- white chocolate mocha frapp. Yumm. Read some magazines for fun and review my lesson plan book. Head to get kids. Kids drama running late. Rush home to let out Bear (this seems to be a running theme here, doesn't it) and have kids change. Rush out to swim. Hit every stinking red light but made it only a couple of minutes late. Sweat to death in aquatic center, but menu plan, clean out emails, and read for about 10 min. Battle rush hour traffic home.
David beat me home, so he had veggies started and oven on. I pop fish in the oven, start noodles boiling and fix a quick lettuce-and-cheese-only salad for those who want it. David works on sprinklers, one of which was stopped up with a caterpillars nest. (That's not something you say everyday). We sit down to eat with very loud children, who for some reason find dinner-prep time and just sitting down time the best time to launch into long stories of great importance.
Dinner is conquered, kitchen cleaned. For our after dinner entertainment, I let Bear in the living room. He is a wild maniac. Until I bring out treats and begin training. He then becomes the family dog we dream of. Of course, I am occasionally checking the score of the football game (currently 24-0, of course the Dawgs are winning). Because we are watering the yard, Bear has to go out on a leash (boy this is getting old). I
Get two kids tucked in, plop with laptop in lap, of course checking score. I am getting ready to rub David's back, as it is sore from all of his tractor riding.
Very soon, we are headed to bed. David and I have be somewhere at 6 in the morning. Yes you read that correctly. Be there at 6. That is another post that I can't wait to tell you about.
So, a little back rubbing to work out the kinks and maybe a little book reading and it is to bed I go. Just counting the hours till I get to do it all over again.
