When our kids were young I thought life couldn't be any busier. And it was physically exhausting, what with the lack of sleep, constant diaper changing, nursing, toddler food prep, potty training, etc., etc. Very busy. I wasn't good about keeping a journal during this phase of my life, and I wish I had. It would fascinating now to read about what a "normal" day was like then. As it is, I just vaguely remember being busy and tired, but still really enjoying my kids as little tikes.
Now I find myself in a new phase of life and it is busy in a different way. The kids take care of most of their own physical needs and I get much more sleep at night, even with early awakening to get Bailey off to Seminary. But, now the chauffeuring duties are paramount, the schedules are complicated, and the emotional needs are increased. Because our kids are so spread out - 13 years from oldest to youngest, we have kids in all different developmental stages. So I have to be "on my game" to handle 1st grade through teenage challenges at any time.
So, for the purposes of my own family history, I am going to make a record of a current weekly schedule. I'm going to use this week as an example, and I'm not going to include everything that gets done during the day when the kids are at school. Let's just say that when everyone leaves in the morning I feel like I'm at the starting line of a race . . . ready, set, go! There are certain things, like getting the house under control, planning dinner, errands, preparation for church callings, managing bills and personal finance, emails, service to friends and ward members, etc., which have to be completed by the time everyone comes home. That is my self-imposed deadline, because once kids are home we are running around and busy until bedtime.
Warning - this will not be interesting to anyone other than my future self, so feel free to stop reading at the point.
Monday
5:45 - Wake up to help Bailey get breakfast and visit with her before she leaves to Seminary
7:00 - Wake up Aubrey and Joseph - breakfast and lunch prep, etc.
8:15 - Dan takes Joseph to school
8:50 - Take Aubrey to the bus stop
9:00 - Green Eggs and Ham breakfast with Joseph at the elementary school.
11:00 - Back to the school to help the teacher
From the to do list during the day - list 50 items on ebay, emails about the upcoming end of soccer season party, emails about my book club,emails about the Wicked tickets we are coordinating
2:30 - Bailey comes home
2:45 - Drop Bailey off at piano
2:50 - Pick up Joseph, run back home to get the piano books Bailey forgot, feed Joseph a snack in the car, and help him do homework until his piano lesson
3:15 - Joseph starts piano, run Bailey home and try to finish making dinner (rolls and black bean soup)
3:45 - Pick up Joseph from piano, drive to Aubrey's middle school across town to pick her up.
4:15 - Pick up Wendy's for Aubrey for dinner, because she needed to go to theater practice until 8:30 p.m.
4:30 - Take Aubrey to theater - wait 45 minutes for the director to show up (they were supposed to be putting a brunette rinse in her hair and doing makeup in preparation for publicity shots for Beauty and the Beast.)
5:15 - Run back home and (with Bailey's help) get the house cleaned up for company. Finish dinner, eat, and prepare a FHE lesson.
6:30 - A new family in the ward with two small children comes over for FHE and to visit. Eat leftover bday cake for dessert
8:30 - Pick up Aubrey from theater, fill the car up with gas, run to the grocery store to get supplies for luncheon the next day.
9:00 - read Harry Potter to Joseph, scriptures, prayers.
10:30 - Fall asleep after watching lots of political primary info on TV
Tuesday
5:45 - up with Bailey - breakfast, prayer, off to Seminary
7:00 - kids up and ready for school. Food challenge with Joseph (in preparation for the afternoon's OT). Today's challenge was touching, smelling, licking, and then trying a bite of cinnamon bread. Marginally successful.
8:15/8:30 - Joseph and Aubrey to school
9:00 - my Zumba exercise class
11:00 - prepare salad, put rolls on plate
11:30 - to the school to help a friend's daughter with something
12:00 - birthday luncheon for a friend, bring rolls and salad
2:30 - Bailey comes home
2:50 - Pick up Joseph, drive across town to Occupational Therapy appointment. Pick up frozen yogurt on the way for Bailey, Joseph, and myself.
3:30 - While Joseph is in OT, run errands with Bailey (fabric store to get ribbons she can wear in her hair)
4:30 - OT done, feed Joseph snacks in the car on the way to baseball practice
5:00 - Leave Joseph at baseball, drop by a friend's to pick up the book club book, take it to another friend's house, drop Bailey off at home, return to watch the baseball practice in the cold.
6:00 - home from baseball, dinner, check on Aubrey's homework
6:40 - take Aubrey to dress fitting appointment for her Beauty and the Beast ball gown.
9:00 - home - kids finish homework (oops - no piano practice happened today and I never checked on kid's chore completion), read Harry Potter to Joseph, scriptures, prayers.
10:00 - most of the kids are asleep
10:10 - We are asleep
Wednesday
5:45 - Up with Bailey - breakfast/prayer/off to Seminary
7:00 - Kids up and ready
8:15/8:45 - Joseph and Aubrey to school
Home to pay bills, clean up, communicate with the woman who is picking up the table we just sold on craigslist.
2:30 - Bailey home
2:50 - Pick up Joseph
3:15 - Joseph swim lesson
4:45 - Aubrey home from school
5:00 - Take Aubrey to piano lesson, pick up Joseph's friend so we can drive him to soccer
5:30 - Pick up Aubrey from piano
5:40 - Dan drives Joseph and two friends to soccer practice across town
6:40 - Drop Bailey and Aubrey off at Young Womens.
7-9 pm. Stake YW Meeting.
9:30 - Read Harry Potter to Joseph, help Aubrey finish homework, scriptures, prayers, bed.
Thursday
5:45 - Up with Bailey - breakfast/prayer/off to Seminary
7:00 - Kids up and ready
8:15/8:45 - Joseph and Aubrey to school
10:00 - Zumba exercise class
12:00 - Dad calls for weekly phone appointment
2:30 - Bailey home from school
2:50 - Pick up Joseph from school
4:45 - Aubrey home from school. Leave to take Joseph to baseball practice.
5:00 - Return home to help Aubrey get dinner and prepare for theater.
5:30 - Drop off Aubrey at theater.
6:00 - Pick up Joseph from baseball. Meet up with my friend Kathy in a parking lot to transfer her two boys to my car. Drive all three boys to their last indoor soccer game.
6:30 - 7:30 - Soccer Game
7:30 - 9:00 - Dan help paint some of the sets for Aubrey's play/Parent Meeting for the play at 8 p.m.
8:30 - Pick up Aubrey from theater
9:00 - Harry Potter, homework, scriptures, piano?, prayers, bed
Friday
5:45 - Up with Bailey/off to Seminary
7:00 - Kids up and ready
8:30 - Take Joseph to school, help in Joseph's classroom (Aubrey comes along until her bus arrives at 9 a.m.) Help until 10:00 a.m.
10:30 - Run home to meet up with the family who is picking up our kitchen table.
11:00 - Drive across town to get allergy shot. Do a few errands while there - Costco, groceries, Target.
2:30 - Bailey gets home
2:50 - Pick up Joseph and a friend (for a playdate)
4:45 - Aubrey gets home
5:00 - Drive into Portland to pick up our new kitchen table
6:00 - Dinner out with the family to celebrate last week's birthdays
It is a crazy schedule. We are constantly evaluating and re-evaluating what is important to leave in the schedule and what can be removed. For instance, as of this week we are cutting out Joseph's swim lesson (he has had a once a week private lesson since last summer, at the suggestion of his OT. It has been so helpful, but it can go on hold right now). And soccer ends this week - hooray! But baseball games start next week! And Aubrey's play is in full-gear mode, right up until the end of March.
It is a busy stage. But it is a happy stage of life. Our kids are awesome and involved in good activities. Hopefully we will remain sane as we manage their schedules and all the other important to-dos that fill up a day. Hopefully we won't forget the really important things as we rush from one place to another all day. That is my goal and my prayer every single day. I love this quote from Elder Uchtdorf. I just printed it out to post on my wall, to help me maintain focus.
"Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most."
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