I’ve never done a "day in retrospect" on my blog, so I thought it would be fun. I would love to read anyone else’s if they write one!

So here you go….the good, the bad, and the sleepy….

First, let me preface this by saying I sat up till midnight the night before….with good reason. I was waiting for the next day's medical appointments to dump into the Tricare Online system so I could make an appointment for my oldest son (“Tricare” otherwise known as “The Devil’s Healthcare system”, or to you civilians, as the military healthcare system)

6:30   Alarm goes off and I hit it several times before finally rolling out of bed 20 minutes later…I am NOT a morning person but have learned to just face the music (eventually).

7:00   Brewing coffee, and telling oldest son to get up already since the appointment is for him.

7:15  Telling oldest son to get up now or I will have to resort to using the ‘ice cubes of happiness’

7:16  Son is up since he apparently vividly recalls the ice cubes of happiness. I get an outfit together that requires no ironing and thank the Lord in heaven above for Mary Kay. I only have 2 dress code policies—I don’t go out in public in sweats or without my lipstick. J

8:20  Drive to clinic with above son for his (hopefully last) post injury follow-up

8:40  Sit and chat with Matt’s Dr, who we actually love and who has nothing to do with the devil (reference above)

9:00  Home again….move everyone along with chores/school/piano practice

9:10   Download a song for Wednesday’s music practice from CCLI. Go over song a couple of times to make sure I’ve got the chords right. 9 year old asks ‘why do you have to play the piano every day?” (I don’t) and not in a “ I wish you played more often” kind of tone. Stinker. I could go on about a prophet not receiving honor in his own country, but I won’t. Someday they’ll be sorry. 

9:15-11:30  Read Bible with the girls, go over math lessons, map out assignments for the week,  read aloud a chapter in each of our books we’re reading--
William Bradford, Pilgrim Boy (for history) and It’s a Jungle Out There (our ‘fun’ book). Start our Explorers History Pockets. Those are way fun and a nice wrap up for any subject.

11:45  Dad home for lunch. We break to eat and they take turns playing him in chess. Some days it’s cards, other days even poker. I figure it all falls under ‘higher order thinking skills’. J He doesn’t get to come home every day, but when he does, we stop everything to spend time with him.

1 p.m.   I leave for (yet another) medical appointment for my LAST (yeah!!) followup from my recent surgery. I am tired of all the medical stuff. Good news—I still have nerve damage but it is better than he thought it would be. This is encouraging. I call this friend (who I don’t get to see or talk to often enough) on my headset while driving there, and as always have a good conversation. Wistfully think I wish we lived near other again.  I get back at…

2:30   To find out the younger two did NOT behave while I was gone. (big no-no) They lose some privileges for the day. When I say “no friends” I later find the 9 year old crying on her bed, thinking it means she can’t go to gymnastics tonight. SIGH. Like I would restrict her from something that costs me that much money...I wish I could take a nap…

2:30-4:00   Finish grading school, picking up. The girls read. 11 yo is reading the second Anne of Green Gables book and the 9 yo Derwood, Inc. At some point I have the good sense to brew some more coffee, or as I like to think of it, ‘the nectar of the gods’. Oldest son goes to mow the neighbor’s yard.

4:00-5:00  Quick meal prep helped by the middle two children and get dinner on the table by 5:00 as we have some commitments tonight. Easy—spaghetti and French rolls! Yum.

5:30  Braid 9 year-old’s hair for gymnastics. 11 yo goes outside to jump on the trampoline. The big boys are on their beds reading books—the 16 yo is reading an Agatha Christie book (he has inherited my love for non-gory mysteries) and the 14 yo is reading A Tarantula in My Purse—what can I say? He loves science.

6:00  Leave house, drop 14 yo off for his first drum lesson (I see visions of a garage band in my future between him and my 16 yo electric-guitar-playing son), drop off 9 yo at gymnastics, stay and watch a minute and then run for a few minutes to a military spouses’ meeting that I forgot about until a few minutes ago.

6:15-7:00  Listen to a lecture on breast cancer awareness (my aunt is a 2-time survivor so it’s a topic near and dear to me) Did you know girls who were breastfed have a 25% lower rate of breast cancer? Interesting. Have to leave before it’s over, unfortunately.

7:00  Race back to pick up 9 yo and watch her last 15 minutes of gymnastics class. She lands her front hand spring on her feet for the first time ever. Go, girl! Hubby picks up 14 yo from his drum lesson.

7:30   Back home. I change into sweats, hallelujah! J Help youngest clean up kitchen and dust the living area. I am giving a piano lesson tomorrow and can’t have a dusty piano! Start the Shower Patrol and try to get everyone to wind down.

8:30  Watch a DVR’ed episode of Andy Griffith with my younger two and eat popcorn. Oldest son is holed up in his room working on schoolwork, 14 yo is in back room ‘practicing’ drums. Yikes. I putter around, do some school/music organizing, read emails, and think at some point I will update my blog and make it look prettier. But not right now, I’m too tired.

9:ish  Girls in beds reading ‘one more chapter’. Dh is woodworking outside. I am typing this and the thought strikes me “WHY am I not in bed?” It’s a vicious cycle. The big boys decide now is a good time to lift weights. I wonder how on earth they still have energy left.

Now it is 10 p.m. and my day is at an end! It’s been busy, but good. I try to never forget how happy I am to be home with my kids for these few years. I prefer days where I’m not out of the house so much, I do have to say. I also usually like to walk daily, but it didn’t happen today. And I don't usually drink that much coffee! What can I say? It's Monday.

Now...Please let me know if you do a 'day in the life'!