A Day in Our Crazy Life VI
I'm about two months late posting A Day in Our Crazy Life, so here goes! This was yesterday...
5:30 AM My alarm goes off. I hit the snooze twice.
5:46 AM I get up, uncover the soaking oatmeal, mix in mashed bananas and other ingredients, and pop our soaked baked oatmeal in the oven. I then go straight back to bed.
{This is not usual. For the past couple of months I've been getting up at 5 and I do an hour of work and then an hour of exercise before M leaves for work at 7. It's early but it feels so good to have that quiet time to myself first thing. But I've been struggling to get over a cold so today I want to maximize rest to give my pregnant body a chance to get healthy.}
L is just getting up as I get into bed again, and she climbs into bed with me.
5:58 AM I tell L that I'm going back to sleep, and that she should too. She dutifully closes her eyes and tries, but I can tell by her fidgeting that her little mind is awake and churning. Her eyes fly open at one point and she cries out loudly, "I need to be measured right now. I'm going to ask Daddy to measure me!" I'm then vaguely aware of her going into the kitchen, talking to Daddy, and returning to the bed a few minutes later. (I wasn't awake enough to figure out whether any measuring took place.)
6:30 AM I can hear M leaving, which is my cue to get my butt out of bed. L tells me she's hungry and we chat about what she wants to eat.
6:35 AM I roll out of bed, L following closely behind me. N is awake and has snuggled herself on the couch under a pile of blankets, reading a book. L uses the potty while I make the coffee.
6:40 AM L declares that she is so hungry she can't even wait 10 minutes for oatmeal bake, and so I pour her a bowl of Corn Chex which she devours as she waits.
6:50 AM The timer goes off on the oatmeal bake and I pull it out of the oven. I pour some coffee and slice up some oatmeal bake for myself. L has finished her cereal and requests a bowl of oatmeal bake, so I get that for her, and just before I sit down N joins us and requests Corn Chex. I get them for her, then grab my breakfast and we sit down and eat together.
7:00 AM We watch the weather forecast on my phone as we eat. We're all delighted to learn that, although today will be a bit chilly, warmer weather is on the way for the weekend!
7:20 AM We are chatting and finishing up breakfast and I realize that C is still sleeping, and she went to bed at 6:30 last night! Worn out by her awesome weekend at Grandma's!
7:30 AM C shuffles out into the dining room and sits at the table, requesting Corn Chex. She eats while the bigger girls take some pictures on N's camera, and I finish my coffee.
7:50 AM C is finishing up and so I tell the girls that it's time for morning chores. Our daily battle these days is doing chores in a timely manner-- the dry erase marker and check boxes lost their novelty months ago:
and so I tell the girls that I'm taping a piece of paper to the wall and writing a check mark for each time that I have to remind them to get back on track with chores. If we get to three check marks or more, they will lose a privilege that day (TV time, dessert etc.). C goes to use the potty while the older girls begin the checklist.
8:00 AM I'm finishing up getting myself dressed and the girls come in and tell me they're already finished with their chores! Much praising and clapping of hands and happy dancing from Mama! I tell them they deserve a treat. :)
8:15 AM I start making N's and L's lunch since they'll be eating at their nature science program today. They both want to help and they pretty much take over the sandwich making and drink pouring so I go to check on C. She has finished on the potty and removed her clothes but is having trouble getting dressed. I help her find appropriate clothes and then help her with dressing. Then I set out a toothbrush and washcloth for her and she finishes up the remaining chores by herself pretty quickly.
8:45 AM The bigger girls have finished making sandwiches, filling water bottles, and packaging up fruit salad (such helpful ladies!) so I put everything in lunch boxes. I help L gather her backpack for school that afternoon.
8:50 AM I ask the girls to get shoes and jackets on. I'm interrupting them from reading a book together
and so I have to ask them three times. I reluctantly put a check mark on the paper, because I love that they love to read together so much, and they did so well for most of the morning but... just trying to get them to be more quick in the mornings, and trying to be consistent about it.
9:05 AM We're out the door once everyone has found shoes and jackets. On our way to "Nature Adventure" at the local wildlife sanctuary.
9:25 AM We arrive and N and L jump right in to their craft with enthusiasm. I kiss their heads and say goodbye. C gives them hugs.
9:55 AM C and I arrive home. We have a quick snack and C ends up downing 2 more bowls of oatmeal bake.
10:30 AM See that mess that is C's room in the reading picture above? We set about cleaning it. C helps put the books on the shelves quite willingly, and when she tires of the activity I ask her if she wants to paint while I finish sorting her clothes. Well of course she does!
She paints and I finish going through the gigantic pile of clothes that are overflowing from her dresser. I fill two trash bags with thing she has outgrown and/or don't fit her right and/or she doesn't like to wear. This has been a project needing to be done for a couple of months. I'm glad we had a quiet morning to do it.
Not spotless, but everything is up off the floor at least.
11:30 AM I fix lunch for us. C isn't very hungry after her oatmeal bake binge so I just give her a few cheese and crackers. She eats one cracker and chugs a lot of water.
I have a caesar wrap.
11:55 AM It's time to pick up the big girls. We drive to the wildlife sanctuary, get everyone in the car, then hurry over to L's preschool.
12:40 PM We arrive at preschool, about 10 minutes late. It's always a tight squeeze between those activities if the girls stay for lunch after Nature Adventure. There is kind of a big argument between N and L about whether L can bring N's toy zebra that she bought with her own money, since the letter of the day at preschool is Z. N doesn't want her to. Squabbling and bickering, in the midst of Mama being slightly stressed and impatient over being late. Not our happiest moment of the day, but when L sees her teachers she runs inside and doesn't look back. It's all good.
1:00 PM I arrive home again with C and N. I give C a quick minute to play, and then she uses the potty and we read Star Wars 123 before she settles into her bed for rest time.
1:20 PM N does some math-- a page of Singapore and some place value in her Common Core book. I sit with her to help, but she doesn't really need it. It's nice just being together and quiet for a minute.
She paints when she finishes her work, and I do a quick check-in to answer my students' questions on my laptop, and then finish up the dishes from lunch.
2:30 PM It's almost time to get L and I can tell that C has fallen asleep. I always hate waking her up, but there's nothing to be done about it.
3:45 PM We arrive home and the girls try to jump right in to making bracelets but there is more squabbling and non-sharing and I can tell that everyone is just exhausted after an exciting weekend and a long day. Octonauts to the rescue!
Once the girls are calm in front of the TV, I take a minute to breathe, use the bathroom, and unpack a few things from the day. I walk by the mirror and marvel at how big the belly is getting
I write down a list of leftovers for dinner and then, since the girls are occupied, I open up my computer again and start working.
4:20 PM M comes home. He gets changed, and had planned to take the girls outside while he worked on organizing the shed. I warn him that they're pretty tired and cranky. A squabble erupts at just that moment and M abandons the plan and begins warming up supper leftovers.
5:00 PM I take a break from working and we all sit down to eat. Everyone has their choice of leftovers-- pizza for Mama and the two youngest girls, a caesar wrap for N, and oatmeal bake for Daddy.
5:30 PM I begin working again and M cleans up supper while the girls finish Octonauts.
5:45 PM Octonauts is over and I hear the girls heading out to our porch for a little play time. They pop in and out of my room while I'm working to say hello, snuggle, or brush my hair.
(C has been bringing my hairbrush in while I work and brushing my hair. I love it; it's so relaxing! Tonight she asked where the baby's head was so that she could brush the baby's hair too. She actually brushed my belly, haha!)
6:15 PM Daddy calls story time and they all sit down on the couch together and read a few poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends, and then Kipper.
6:45 PM The girls have 30 minutes to do their bedtime chores (pjs, brushing teeth, potty) and then after that they are free to read by themselves in bed with these cool new reading lamps that we got for them at Ikea last week. We have been giving them this time each night and it has been a great relaxing time for them. Many times they are asleep before we even come in to say lights out.
6:50 PM I remember that I put a load of laundry in the washer yesterday and never switched it. Oops. I run downstairs and put it in the dryer with an extra dryer sheet to freshen it up. I come back up and continue working.
7:15 PM It's lights-out time so I head into the girls' rooms to give them a final hug and kiss.
7:30 PM The reading/relaxing time didn't seem to work tonight, and all girls get up a couple of times to use the potty again, ask for a drink of water, complain about being too hot to sleep, etc. By about 7:45 it's quiet though.
8:30 PM I'm finally finished with my work!! Hooray!! I start to type this post while M watches some of The Draft on PBS.
9:30 PM Bedtime for Mama and Daddy.
5:30 AM My alarm goes off. I hit the snooze twice.
5:46 AM I get up, uncover the soaking oatmeal, mix in mashed bananas and other ingredients, and pop our soaked baked oatmeal in the oven. I then go straight back to bed.
{This is not usual. For the past couple of months I've been getting up at 5 and I do an hour of work and then an hour of exercise before M leaves for work at 7. It's early but it feels so good to have that quiet time to myself first thing. But I've been struggling to get over a cold so today I want to maximize rest to give my pregnant body a chance to get healthy.}
L is just getting up as I get into bed again, and she climbs into bed with me.
5:58 AM I tell L that I'm going back to sleep, and that she should too. She dutifully closes her eyes and tries, but I can tell by her fidgeting that her little mind is awake and churning. Her eyes fly open at one point and she cries out loudly, "I need to be measured right now. I'm going to ask Daddy to measure me!" I'm then vaguely aware of her going into the kitchen, talking to Daddy, and returning to the bed a few minutes later. (I wasn't awake enough to figure out whether any measuring took place.)
6:30 AM I can hear M leaving, which is my cue to get my butt out of bed. L tells me she's hungry and we chat about what she wants to eat.
6:35 AM I roll out of bed, L following closely behind me. N is awake and has snuggled herself on the couch under a pile of blankets, reading a book. L uses the potty while I make the coffee.
6:40 AM L declares that she is so hungry she can't even wait 10 minutes for oatmeal bake, and so I pour her a bowl of Corn Chex which she devours as she waits.
6:50 AM The timer goes off on the oatmeal bake and I pull it out of the oven. I pour some coffee and slice up some oatmeal bake for myself. L has finished her cereal and requests a bowl of oatmeal bake, so I get that for her, and just before I sit down N joins us and requests Corn Chex. I get them for her, then grab my breakfast and we sit down and eat together.
7:00 AM We watch the weather forecast on my phone as we eat. We're all delighted to learn that, although today will be a bit chilly, warmer weather is on the way for the weekend!
7:20 AM We are chatting and finishing up breakfast and I realize that C is still sleeping, and she went to bed at 6:30 last night! Worn out by her awesome weekend at Grandma's!
7:30 AM C shuffles out into the dining room and sits at the table, requesting Corn Chex. She eats while the bigger girls take some pictures on N's camera, and I finish my coffee.
7:50 AM C is finishing up and so I tell the girls that it's time for morning chores. Our daily battle these days is doing chores in a timely manner-- the dry erase marker and check boxes lost their novelty months ago:
and so I tell the girls that I'm taping a piece of paper to the wall and writing a check mark for each time that I have to remind them to get back on track with chores. If we get to three check marks or more, they will lose a privilege that day (TV time, dessert etc.). C goes to use the potty while the older girls begin the checklist.
8:00 AM I'm finishing up getting myself dressed and the girls come in and tell me they're already finished with their chores! Much praising and clapping of hands and happy dancing from Mama! I tell them they deserve a treat. :)
8:15 AM I start making N's and L's lunch since they'll be eating at their nature science program today. They both want to help and they pretty much take over the sandwich making and drink pouring so I go to check on C. She has finished on the potty and removed her clothes but is having trouble getting dressed. I help her find appropriate clothes and then help her with dressing. Then I set out a toothbrush and washcloth for her and she finishes up the remaining chores by herself pretty quickly.
8:45 AM The bigger girls have finished making sandwiches, filling water bottles, and packaging up fruit salad (such helpful ladies!) so I put everything in lunch boxes. I help L gather her backpack for school that afternoon.
8:50 AM I ask the girls to get shoes and jackets on. I'm interrupting them from reading a book together
and so I have to ask them three times. I reluctantly put a check mark on the paper, because I love that they love to read together so much, and they did so well for most of the morning but... just trying to get them to be more quick in the mornings, and trying to be consistent about it.
9:05 AM We're out the door once everyone has found shoes and jackets. On our way to "Nature Adventure" at the local wildlife sanctuary.
9:25 AM We arrive and N and L jump right in to their craft with enthusiasm. I kiss their heads and say goodbye. C gives them hugs.
9:55 AM C and I arrive home. We have a quick snack and C ends up downing 2 more bowls of oatmeal bake.
10:30 AM See that mess that is C's room in the reading picture above? We set about cleaning it. C helps put the books on the shelves quite willingly, and when she tires of the activity I ask her if she wants to paint while I finish sorting her clothes. Well of course she does!
She paints and I finish going through the gigantic pile of clothes that are overflowing from her dresser. I fill two trash bags with thing she has outgrown and/or don't fit her right and/or she doesn't like to wear. This has been a project needing to be done for a couple of months. I'm glad we had a quiet morning to do it.
Not spotless, but everything is up off the floor at least.
11:30 AM I fix lunch for us. C isn't very hungry after her oatmeal bake binge so I just give her a few cheese and crackers. She eats one cracker and chugs a lot of water.
I have a caesar wrap.
11:55 AM It's time to pick up the big girls. We drive to the wildlife sanctuary, get everyone in the car, then hurry over to L's preschool.
12:40 PM We arrive at preschool, about 10 minutes late. It's always a tight squeeze between those activities if the girls stay for lunch after Nature Adventure. There is kind of a big argument between N and L about whether L can bring N's toy zebra that she bought with her own money, since the letter of the day at preschool is Z. N doesn't want her to. Squabbling and bickering, in the midst of Mama being slightly stressed and impatient over being late. Not our happiest moment of the day, but when L sees her teachers she runs inside and doesn't look back. It's all good.
1:00 PM I arrive home again with C and N. I give C a quick minute to play, and then she uses the potty and we read Star Wars 123 before she settles into her bed for rest time.
1:20 PM N does some math-- a page of Singapore and some place value in her Common Core book. I sit with her to help, but she doesn't really need it. It's nice just being together and quiet for a minute.
She paints when she finishes her work, and I do a quick check-in to answer my students' questions on my laptop, and then finish up the dishes from lunch.
2:30 PM It's almost time to get L and I can tell that C has fallen asleep. I always hate waking her up, but there's nothing to be done about it.
2:45 PM We are all in the car again headed out to pick up L. I bring the bag of oatmeal bake and C and I snack on a few chunks.
3:00 PM We pick up L. Everyone gets out of the car, we meet her at the playground, and go inside to get her backpack and all of her artwork. Then we're back in the car again.
3:10 PM We stop by the gym so I can sign L up for the next session of gymnastics, but nobody is at the desk to help us... I think they're all in the gym setting up for the afternoon's classes. We see the girls' old dance teacher and say hello, then it's back home.
Once the girls are calm in front of the TV, I take a minute to breathe, use the bathroom, and unpack a few things from the day. I walk by the mirror and marvel at how big the belly is getting
(and maybe the butt too???)
I write down a list of leftovers for dinner and then, since the girls are occupied, I open up my computer again and start working.
I'm grading my students' final composition projects... this is my last big grading hump before the end of the year.
4:20 PM M comes home. He gets changed, and had planned to take the girls outside while he worked on organizing the shed. I warn him that they're pretty tired and cranky. A squabble erupts at just that moment and M abandons the plan and begins warming up supper leftovers.
5:00 PM I take a break from working and we all sit down to eat. Everyone has their choice of leftovers-- pizza for Mama and the two youngest girls, a caesar wrap for N, and oatmeal bake for Daddy.
5:30 PM I begin working again and M cleans up supper while the girls finish Octonauts.
(but not before reading Star Wars Colors to C at her request)
5:45 PM Octonauts is over and I hear the girls heading out to our porch for a little play time. They pop in and out of my room while I'm working to say hello, snuggle, or brush my hair.
(C has been bringing my hairbrush in while I work and brushing my hair. I love it; it's so relaxing! Tonight she asked where the baby's head was so that she could brush the baby's hair too. She actually brushed my belly, haha!)
6:15 PM Daddy calls story time and they all sit down on the couch together and read a few poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends, and then Kipper.
6:45 PM The girls have 30 minutes to do their bedtime chores (pjs, brushing teeth, potty) and then after that they are free to read by themselves in bed with these cool new reading lamps that we got for them at Ikea last week. We have been giving them this time each night and it has been a great relaxing time for them. Many times they are asleep before we even come in to say lights out.
6:50 PM I remember that I put a load of laundry in the washer yesterday and never switched it. Oops. I run downstairs and put it in the dryer with an extra dryer sheet to freshen it up. I come back up and continue working.
7:15 PM It's lights-out time so I head into the girls' rooms to give them a final hug and kiss.
7:30 PM The reading/relaxing time didn't seem to work tonight, and all girls get up a couple of times to use the potty again, ask for a drink of water, complain about being too hot to sleep, etc. By about 7:45 it's quiet though.
8:30 PM I'm finally finished with my work!! Hooray!! I start to type this post while M watches some of The Draft on PBS.
9:30 PM Bedtime for Mama and Daddy.
I think you could modify the "America runs on Dunkin" slogan .... Your family runs on oatmeal bake! : )
ReplyDeleteWe've been all into Octonauts here, too!
ReplyDelete