As I posted earlier, I've decided to start putting some daily journal-type entries on the blog.  So many moms have told me that they just really want to see what real-life is like with younger children at home.  Those with older kids seem to have blocked that out...ha!  Anyway, I hope to give those moms a peek into what goes on at our house all day. 

 

Well, thanks to an extra-large diet Coke that was supposed to only keep me awake during Bible study last night, I couldn't go to sleep until after midnight.  Our alarm clock is broken, so my plans were to get up when Jonathan got home from work at about 6:00 this morning...

 

6:00 a.m.- Jonathan gets home.  I hear him open the door, but he's so exhausted he doesn't even turn on the TV.  I think I'll wait just a few minutes before I get up so I don't disturb him...

 

7:15 a.m.- I don't realize I've fallen back asleep until Lily sneaks downstairs and into bed with us.  I don't want to miss my quiet time, so I let her watch PBS for a few minutes while I read in 1 Timothy.  Ben gets up and I let him watch along with Lily for a few minutes. 

 

8:00 a.m.- We turn off the TV and begin talking about the day ahead.  The kids are excited about their final library summer reading program, a magic show at the park.  Kate gets up while we're cooking sausage biscuits and we eat together.  She is so funny in the mornings.  From the minute her feet hit the floor she's starving!  She must be going through a growth spurt or something.  The entire time she's waiting, she's yelling, "I'm staaaving!  I need sompin' in my mouf!"

 

9:15 a.m.- We've spent way too much time talking, and we only have 45 minutes before we need to leave.  We rush about a little, getting everyone dressed.  Miraculously, we all find socks.  That's usually our downfall, but today they were both matched and clean!

 

10:05 a.m.- We leave the house almost on time and get to the park a little early, which was good because the magic show had been relocated due to the weather.  Ben and Lily got a kick out of the show, but Kate wouldn't let go of my legs.    After the show, we ran through Kroger and picked up some groceries for lunch.

 

12:00- We get back home and fix lunch.  I watch Mr. Rogers with the kids while we eat.  We have really been cutting down on the TV time lately, but Mr. Rogers is one we rarely miss.  All three kids love it, and it has a very calming effect on Kate. 

 

1:00- I put Kate down for her nap, and she promptly falls asleep.  (Thank you, Mr. Rogers!)  Every day when she's down for her nap, Ben, Lily, and I have a silent reading time.  I am reading through My Antonia, and Ben and Lily read library books.  I stretch the time out until 2:00 because everyone was worn out from the morning.

 

2:00- I let Ben & Lily have some free time with Daddy while I do some household chores.  No sooner have I hung the laundry out on the line that it comes a downpour.  Never fails!  Ben helps me bring the laundry in. 

 

3:00- I leave the house to go by the cell phone company so that they can switch Jonathan's number to a different phone, since some unnamed 2 year old has dropped his in the toilet.  I get halfway to the car before I realize I've left the windows rolled down....arggghhh!  I pay a bill while I'm out, then head home to dry off.

 

4:00- Kate's still asleep when I get back home.  (Now how did that happen?)  I run up and quickly check my email and start to tackle the laundry room.  This is one of the last frontiers of our move.  We've had boxes stacked up in there that haven't been touched, and I want to get through them by this weekend.  Jonathan helps me get dinner ready so that I can keep working on it, and Kate finally gets up a little before 5.  And wonder of all wonders, she's still not had an accident!  Isn't it funny the things that amaze you when you're potty-training!  She's also wearing a completely different outfit than she was when I put her down, but that's just another day in the life of Kate.  I need to post some pictures of her "outfits" soon.

 

6:00- After we eat, Jonathan lays down for a quick nap since he has to work tonight as well.  The kids are pretty well behaved, with the older two watching their sister and helping me out. 

 

8:00- We sit down as a family and watch "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?"  And yes, I realize that we are supposed to be taking time off of TV, but after all that running and cleaning, well, I doubt I'm much smarter than a kindergartner. 

 

9:00- The kids get ready for bed, and Jonathan and I continue breaking our resolutions by watching "So You Think You Can Dance."  He leaves for work about 9:30.

 

10:00- I head upstairs to check my email and blog a bit.  I really want to finish the laundry room tonight, so I'm probably going to be up for a while.

 

Goodnight everybody!