A day in the life

I always find it interesting when another mom blogs about what a day in their life is like. Of course, these bloggers are amazing, interesting women who balance homeschooling at least twice as many kids as I have while free lance writing for magazines, raising chickens, writing a book and baking homemade bread daily. In other words, their lives are not only more interesting than mine, they are also much more efficient and capable than I am at running their lives. So, for whatever it's worth, here's a peek into the life of a somewhat frazzled, inefficient mom whose only goal each day is to somehow make it to the end of the day without any major catastrophes while maintaining the ability to smile at this crazy/wonderful life. 

Here's what I noted happening on a Friday in September when the kids didn't have school because of parent/teacher conferences.

I began the day by sleeping in and nursing Clara.

7:15 Get out of bed.

7:30 Breakfast of cold cereal for everyone.

7:55 Get kids dressed.

8:10 Blackmail Jonathan into picking up his room. He can't go to a playdate with a friend until it is done.

8:45 Leave to drop Jonathan off at a friend's house.

9:20 Arrive back home. Blackmail Elizabeth into vacuuming Jonathan's room. When she's done, she can watch Dora with Gustin.

9:30 Sit down to nurse the baby.

9:37 Remember that it's been awhile since Gustin went to the potty. Remind him to go.

9:38 Realize that I reminded Gustin too late.

9:55 Finish nursing and put Clara down for nap.

10:00 Get Gustin out of his poopy underpants and stick him into the shower. The mess is too ridiculous to attempt to clean up with wipes alone.

10:15 Start episode of Dora.

10:20 Start baking cakes to take to our Living Matrimony group meeting that is tonight and includes a potluck. I want to get them into the oven before Clara wakes up.

10:23 Clara wakes up

10:25 Notice that the entire house smells like poop. Ugh, I forgot to wash out the poopy clothes. Look at the clock. They'll have to wait until later.

10:26 Mix up cakes (with Clara in my arms) and get them into oven. Realize they will be done 5 minutes after I'm supposed to be leaving for the parent/teacher conferences at school.

10:50 Feed the dog. (Jonathan forgot before he left this morning)

10:55 Wash out the poopy clothes.

11:00 Realize there is not time for a shower this morning. That's what I get for sleeping in!

11:05 Feed Elizabeth and Gustin a snack.

11:10 Get Gustin dressed (he's been running around naked since the shower).

11:15 Grab a snack for me and tell Gustin to stop head-butting the baby.

11:16 Realize I never gave Jonathan his prescription medication this morning.

11:20 Pack all the kids into the van, pull the cakes out of the oven and head to parent/teacher conferences at school. 

11:40 Conferences. They go great! My kids are geniuses and perfect angels. Ha ha.

12:00 Pick up all the puzzles that Gustin dumped out on the floor in Elizabeth's classroom during the conference with her teacher.

12:15 Head to sonic for a treat of slushes for the kids and a Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper for me.

12:30 Gustin spills his blue slush all over himself.

12:45 Get home, clean up Gustin, prepare and eat lunch.

1:20 Send Elizabeth and Gustin upstairs for quiet time. Nurse Clara.

1:45 Lay Clara down for her nap.

1:50 Browse a few blogs.

2:00 Laundry.

2:30 Quiet time is over. Snack time for the kids.

2:45 Water the vegetable garden in the backyard.

3:00 Read a couple of books to Elizabeth and Gustin.

3:30 Clara wakes up.

3:34 It starts to rain outside. Love it!

3:48 Catch the dog up on the table eating some scraps left there from lunch.

3:50 Eat some dark chocolate.

4:00 Jonathan comes home, dropped off by his friend's mom.

4:05 Nurse Clara.

4:30 Finally time for me to get a shower. Look for Clara's walker that she usually hangs out in
while I shower. Finally find the walker outside on the back patio, soaking went from the brief rain shower. Pull the highchair into the bathroom to contain her instead. Quick shower.

4:50 Cook dinner for kids

5:15 Eric gets home from work.

5:20 I get dressed, put on make up, etc so I will look presentable in public.

5:40 Leave for Living Matrimony.

6:00-9:00 Pot luck, great speaker, nice time catching up with friends while the kids stay at the church's childcare ministry.

9:25 Arrive home. Brush teeth, jammies, prayers, kids to bed.

9:45 Watch an episode of Lost with Eric (our new addiction, we're on season 1).

10:30 Crash in bed.

And that's it. A fairly typical day in our crazy, messy lives and I wouldn't change a thing about it (except maybe the dog stealing food off the kitchen table)!