Morning Time: My alarm goes off at 6:15. I find my day goes much more smoothly when I can at least get a shower in before kids start waking up and coming into my bathroom. This is much easier to do in the fall and spring when it's light out at that time. Winter time is pretty hit and miss on the 6:15 wake up. Presley, Harper and Ry's clothes are put out the night before. Dave was still sleeping when I woke up. Presley is usually the first to join me about 6:45, but I had to wake her up this morning at 7:00. Logan and Rylan come upstairs together at 7:10. Alot of mornings Logan comes in to say good morning and then goes to his bathroom to shower and get undies on. He then goes to his own room to pick out clothes and get dressed. This Tuesday he didn't come in but I did hear him start his shower up. Rylan doesn't take showers every morning, but he did today.
Ry in the shower. He loves a long, hot shower.
Harper woke up and came in while Ry was in the shower and threw a tantrum because there was no time for her to take her own shower. It is true there was no time but also Dave hadn't taken one yet and he gets crabby if there's no hot water.
Right before we headed downstairs for breakfast. I'm ready and Ry is ready. Presley was ready too (I did her hair while Ry was in the shower) but she woke up very crabby (not typical) and wouldn't get in the picture.
Downstairs for breakfast. This is when I first see Logan this morning. Harper helps me put out spoons and forks. We had cereal, fruit, and eggs and Ry likes a glass of milk. While kids are eating breakfast I make 3 lunches. Some days I'm lucky and one of them will take a hot lunch,
Presley is still crabby. Dave is upstairs taking a shower by now.
Kids' lunches and their folders are out every morning. They pack up their own backpacks and brush teeth while I get Harper dressed and hair done...on most days Harper bathes, gets dressed, and her hair done after we drop off kids unless we have somewhere to be in the morning. This morning I tied Ry's shoes upstairs and Presley asked me to tie hers up as I was doing Harper's hair.
All kids ready to go to school and mom's group.
Loaded up in the car: School starts at 8:00 and it takes me 4 minutes to get to school. We are never, ever early but the kids don't like morning recess anyways.
Ry getting out of the car on the way to school.
Harper and I head back home after drop off. Three out of the four Tuesday's a month we go to Mom's group. This Tuesday was our last meeting of the year and I had to bring a breakfast dish. Harper goes to a play area where she plays with her friends and has a snack. I go to the meeting where there is usually a breakfast, speaker and a mom craft. This is from 8:45-11:00.
After Mom's group we have a return to make at Target which is on our way home. While in the parking lot Presley calls me from school to ask me to bring her money for the book fair. I tell her no because I am a volunteer worker at it on Thursday and Friday and she can buy books then. Dave also calls to chat and talk about a work email he received (good news).
Harper throws a fit in Target because I won't buy her tic-tacs.
Back at home I make Harper a light lunch because she had a snack at Mom's group.
Harper hides out here when I tell her its nap time. Today Dave comes home about now and has lunch: this is not typical but its a light surgery day for him. I coax her out...
Reading and Nap time:
Another tantrum: She doesn't want me to leave her. At this point I'm really considering calling this post Tantrum Tuesday. This is her 3rd fit and it's 1:00. I tell her I will check on her in a few minutes.
About 10 minutes later: Nap Success!!
No rest time for me though...I've got chores to get done.
Dishwasher to be Unloaded
Dishes in the sink to be cleaned
Clothes to be folded and hung
Clothes to be cleaned
Shoe Basket Organization: This has been on my to-do list for a while. After school the kids went through their shoes and threw out unwanted pairs.
I also spent this time texting with my sisters about how we spent our long week-end and about baby girl's growth for the week. Samee and Nate are feeling kicks!! We lovingly refer to baby girl as Beverly or Bev because when Samee was a little girl that's what she said she was going to name her baby. I also look online for a dress for Ry's kindergarten graduation.
At 2:00 Charter Communications workers showed up because our TV and Internet hasn't been working too well. I was glad Dave was here to explain the problem and to help them out.
At 2:20 Harper woke up and I got her ready for dance class at 3:30. She plays with stickers.
I left to get the big kids from school at 2:40. Harper stayed home with Dad. I took Dave's car because the Charter people were parked behind me.
Presley seems to be in a fine mood now. The kids were excited to talk about the book fair at their school and to tell me there is 13 days left of school.
Snack time:
Dad stayed home with the kids while I took Harper to dance class.
Charter left while we were at dance class. Dave said Rylan followed the guys around with his mini flashlight "helping" them look for wires. They were being cute and patient with Ry. While at dance class I got a text that Logan's 6:30 soccer practice was cancelled but there was a parent meeting at Foothills at 7:00.
4:50: We got home from dance class and they had been playing on the computer and watching TV but I turned that off and told them they needed to play.
Dave helped Presley with an IPod Pandora question.
Harper got herself dressed in her "pin-cess" outfit. Her leotard and tights were found in Logan's room.
Tantrum #4: She's mad because Presley is wearing her white high heeled dress up shoes to dance.
Presley and I have been watching Dancing with the Stars and she likes to put on high heels and dance ball room style around to loud music (she now has her black high heels on). I watched her dance, she said this was her cha-cha dance. Many times she has an invisible partner...this is why her arms are up in the hold position.
But then Logan got in her way and she accidentally stepped on his foot with her high shoes. He lets out what I call a "dying whale" cry. Luckily, he laughs at that. Harper puts a bandaid on him and he seems fine. Notice Harper now has on her white high heeled shoes.
It's about 5:30 and I'm starting on dinner. Presley is doing her spelling and math homework while I cook and Logan and Ry are outside playing basketball. Harper is outside on the trampoline all by herself with her pink ball.
Dinner is ready at 6:00: Parmesan crusted chicken, noodles, orange slices, carrots (for the boys), red peppers (for the girls), and a rice krispie treat.
This is Ry's plate: He had already eaten some when I remembered to take a picture.
About 6:30 I'm cleaning up dinner, Dave is getting ready to leave. Its a nice night so kids are outside jumping --love when they play nicely together--it's been a tough few weeks with lots of sibling bickering.
Kids race in the back door (under Logan's directions) and grab all the pillows and blankets.
The windows and open and I can hear the kids yelling, Ole, Ole, Ole and then one of them jumps in the big pile. Really wish I had video and sound for this part. It was pure heaven: no crying, no whining, lots of laughing and taking turns; BLISS!!
Dinner is cleaned up and I call kids in about 7:00 to put away all the pillows and blankets. Ry throws a fit about cleaning up. Nightly stuff: jammies on and I brush Ry and Harper's teeth. I usually do Presley's too but she does them tonight. Logan brushes his own and feeds Crush.
About 7:40 Ry, Presley, and I head up to snuggle and read books with Rylan. Picture by Presley.
Logan is reading in my room and Harper is playing in her room (this is not typical but I'm on my own so I'm kind of winging it).
Ry gets tucked in about 7:55 and I walk upstairs with Presley to talk and get her settled into independent reading. I go to check on Harper and she is in my room bugging Logan during his reading time. She comes downstairs with me to look at books. Logan comes down about 8:25 to watch the last few minutes of the Heat/Pacers game.
Logan still likes to snuggle with me at night.
8:30: Take Harper up to bed. She wants to read a few minutes. I want to avoid more crying so I go back downstairs to Logan and we talk for a few minutes before I take him up to his room and tuck him in. Check on Ry, who's asleep, and put another blanket on him.
8:40 (last picture of the day): Tuck in Presley, who asks me what time I'll be coming up, and talk about her book. Tuck in Harper for the night. Lights out in the girls' rooms.
9:30: Dave gets home from the parent meeting.
9:50: Write an email for Dave's work.
10:10: I head upstairs, place an online order, watch House Hunters, and text with Tricia about her wedding invitations.
10:45-- Last time I look at the clock.
That was kind of fun. I think I'll try to do that again in the summer when our schedule is lots less rigid.
