Day in the Life - Thursday, September 21, 2017

So, since I've left this blog pretty much in the dust, I've decided it's fun to pop on every three months or so and do a "day in the life" post since I feel like life is passing by pretty quickly and it's hard to keep up! So maybe an occasional "check in" will be fun to reminisce about someday down the road when my readership (you know, me) (and maybe Calla) are interested in reading this. ha. 

I decided to post for Thursday since it was a fairly regular day! 

Each weekday, I set my alarm for 7am and go downstairs. If my iPad is charged, I like to play Spotify and drink my coffee and eat my daily breakfast (it's the same every day - bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal) while I empty the dishwasher. I try to have the kitchen clean, breakfast out, and lunches packed by 7:30. That's usually when the first peeps start trickling down!

ALWAYS the first one up. Parker! This particular morning he must have dreamed about Awana Cubbies (his first night of Cubbies was the evening before) because he came down carrying all his Awana gear. He started chatting about it.

Jay and Wayne weren't far behind. They were stuck with cereal bc that is what we eat on Thursday mornings. (Monday and Tuesdays - waffles or pancakes; Wednesdays - cinnamon buns; Thursdays & Fridays - cereal.)

By 7:45, I could hear this person talking in her crib. She likes to sit up there and chat and roll around until I come get her.

For the next 45 minutes, I got all the kids ready to go to BSF, coaxed the girls and Jay along (they need lots of reminders as far as brush teeth/get dressed/put lunch in backpack/etc....Jay especially would have no clue what to do).

Once they are all ready, Calla and Kelsey are always a big help with the little boys. I moved the mini trampoline up in the loft at the start of the schoolyear so the boys would have something to play on while they wait for mama to get ready! ha!

At 8:30 each day, we drive out the driveway to head to school. I drop them off at the sidewalk...there they are escorting Jay in!

 below: Parents can either park and walk their kids in or drop them off and I love dropping off. It is so much easier (since otherwise the little kiddos wanna get out too).

This particular day was going to be in the mid-90s. Do you know how confusing it is to get dressed when it's in the 90s in the fall?? We are going on a ten-day heat wave!

This morning I decided on a dress and a short sleeve sweater and belt and booties. Here is a very unflattering view:

below: These people don't care about seasonal wear haha. The three youngest are in the first row now bc otherwise they'd be too far back for me to hand them their cups, snacks, etc.

They always get a snack on the 20-minute drive from school to BSF.

 This was only our second week at BSF since the fall started so the kids were still getting used to their classes. I let the boys "help" me drop off Caroline. She was screaming her head off so we stood and watched her cry for a bit. See Wayne in the reflection? Caroline is being held by a lovely woman who hopefully is hard of hearing.

 below; Next up I dropped Wayne and Parker off at their class. Since they are only three months apart, they are almost always in the same exact class. Parker is always always well-behaved in class (just the opposite of how he is at home) and Wayne is always always a handful. They usually sum up his behavior as "really hard time" or "not as hard a usual." The boys have the same teacher as last year which I am so thankful for because she understands Wayne so well! She is very, very kind!

BSF is from 9:25-11:15. This year we are studying Romans and I am SO excited about it! The Bible study starts with a small group time. For the last hour, we gather as a large group and sing hymns and hear a lecture. It is such a privilege to be able to do the study year after year. Shout out to Katelyn for encouraging me to do it six years ago!! I didn't know anyone when I started but now I have several very good friends who do it with me.

Anyway, after BSF, I have thirty minutes to pick up Jay. I had found out one of my best friend's grandmas had passed away the night before so I decided to pick up flowers for her at the grocery store as long as a couple groceries.

below: We prayed we'd get the car cart and we did!!! (The boys are very disappointed if there aren't any "left.") I got the three babies a mini gelato each since I figured they were probably hungry (although they do get animal crackers at BSF). Wayne always picks chocolate and Parker always picks mint. I got Caroline cookies 'n cream but she just wanted Parker's. Caroline always knows what she wants. !!!

 Another snack on the drive to school. All we do is eat snacks.

 Waiting for Jay to get out of kindergarten.....it's boring in the car!

We picked up Jay and headed home for lunch! I had a time crunch because it was already past noon and I had a babysitter coming at 1pm. The babysitter was going to stay with the four kids while I went to a "fellowship tea" for school.

Each class at Wheaton Christian has a set of room moms and the room moms always arrange a "fellowship tea" in mid-September so all the class moms can get together and get to know each other. The room moms also share the agenda for the year (field trips, classroom help, class parties, etc.). This particular day I had the fellowship tea for Calla's class.

But first, lunch!!! I only got a pic of Wayne bc he is always the last one eating. Always. haha

I tucked Wayne and Parker in bed and then put Caroline to sleep. She likes to cuddle. (Not really. Usually she likes to fall asleep on her belly on her crib.)

Parker was being loud so I sat in my room and put together the agenda for the Tea (I am one of the room moms for Calla's class so I was helping with it) while I "kept" Parker in bed. Parker sleeps in my bed and Wayne sleeps in his bed (I can't put them together in the same room bc they get REALLY silly).

The baby-sitter arrived and I loaded my car full of the food for the tea and headed to my friend Kris' house. She was hosting it! I should have gotten a pic bc her house is lovely. oops.

I got home at 3 but didn't have to run grab the girls because Kris offered to pick them up for me. We take turns doing carpool at the end of the school day.

Instead, the kids played outside and tried not to melt in the heat.

 Caroline sat in her car and watched me clean out the white van. I have to do this every day bc it gets so icky so fast! (Remember all the snacks the kids were eating on the way to and from BSF?!)

Then we loaded up and headed to Kris' house to pick up the girls and go to Jay's soccer. Jay has soccer on Thursdays at 5. Fortunately it's at a park so everyone enjoys going.

Soccer on a hot day!!! He is one of the dots in the background. He would prefer if I sit and watch him at the field but let's be honest that never happens. I'm always at the park with Caroline and the twins.

below: killing an hour at this fun park.

 Caroline trying to learn to ride the scooter:

When I picked up the girls from Kris', I ended up taking her two girls and a neighbor girl with me. Ha! Kris had to run her boys to football practice so I offered to keep her girls with me so they could play at the park too.

below: Kelsey, Molly and Charlotte playing "water slide" with Parker. They did this for twenty minutes it least. They probably wished it really was a water slide since it was 95!

 Caroline looking like a big kid:

 below: The kids kept playing "man on wood chips." I am not sure what that is but they learned it at recess at school.

At 6:10, we were driving back to drop Kris' girls off at her house and to head home. Caroline was probably shrieking from her car seat at this point. I had a litany of crackers and grapes with me but she doesn't find food to be satisfying enough to ease up on the shrieking!

 Daddy had called me mid-afternoon and offered to pick up pizza because I couldn't do my Thursday usual (I often throw something in the crockpot on Thursdays during naps so that it's ready to eat when we get back from soccer). Jonathan is also good at bailing me out with dinner if I am not getting home until after six by cooking something up himself but on this particular day he was laid up at work so instead he picked up pizza. Yay!

below: Kelsey was telling us that she got a singing part for chapel and was performing in between bites of pizza. Kelsey has a very hard time staying in her seat during dinner.

below: again, the last one standing! ha!

By 6:45, the boys were in the bath. If Jonathan has anything to say about it, the kids get a daily bath.

below: I got the fun job of tucking in this love bug.

By the time Caroline was asleep, Jonathan had the boys out of the bath so I got to reading. Right now we are reading the Frog and Toad stories and they are a favorite.

The twins went to bed and then I helped Jay do some of his workbook. Each week he has to think of four words that begin with two letters . Doesn't that sound simple? Um, not for (ahem) everyone...

 below: Calla and Kelsey used to spend hours drawing detailed pictures with lots of colors. Jay thinks a little pencil sketch is sufficient! ha!!!

 I tucked Jaybird into bed and noticed Parker was assuming his regular position (no pillow). He also sleeps every night on a random crib mattress on the floor of their room. He does not like sleeping on the bunk bed. I think he misses his crib. He is an odd child.

I did some laundry while th girls went to bed. Need proof? ha! jk

At 8:30, I did Calla and Kelsey's devotional with them and put them to bed. We are reading a devotional Mimi got them for Christmas. It is a favorite!

After the kids are in bed, Jonathan and I do our devotions and I fold and put away two loads of laundry. (If I do two loads a day, it never piles up!). I run the dishwasher and clean the first floor and usually can be in bed by 11 if I don't get distracted by the Internet....like this blog! haha jk.

That was my Thursday!

Day in the Life - May 31, 2017

So, since I haven't posted since before Caroline is born, I'd be kidding myself to assume I'm going to ease back into blogging. But I did think it would be fun to do "Day in the Life" posts every few months. I enjoy looking back on the blog occasionally to read what life looked like in its different phases. These days it goes by so fast that I don't want to lose sight of these precious years when the littles are so little. (-: 

So yesterday, Wednesday May 31st, I took pics throughout my day. I decided to do a day this week since the kids get out of school tomorrow and summertime days are always a little different than a day in the life during the schoolyear. So here was yesterday....

6am-ish . Awake! Caroline woke me up and after nursing her upstairs in her room, she and I headed downstairs to the kitchen. She is always my first one up. 

below: first stop, the coffee machine. She watches me get my cup every morning. (-:

below: Then she sits on her blanket to play while I get my daily bowl of cereal, which is always Honey Bunches of Oats with no milk. Every single morning.

below: Jonathan got me the Apple Watch though his rewards system at work and now I know exactly how terrible my sleep is. hahaha. Last night I got 5 hours and 22 minutes of sleep. I should have gone to bed earlier!! (It appears I went to bed at 12:29am...yikes)...

 I am not an early morning person, but the big upside of being awake with Caroline before the big kids rise is the chance to get stuff done! Caroline watched me empty the dishwasher and then I folded a load of laundry.

 Usually, Parker wakes up between 6:30-7. Here he is. True to form.

 Caroline had ruined her pajamas with a nasty diaper so Parker sat with her while I got her a change of clothes. The boys are very gentle with Caroline. They don't usually touch her. Yay.

At 7:30, I went upstairs to wake up the school kids and Jay and Wayne were awake in their room so I brought everyone down for breakfast. There is usually some debate of who gets the coveted seats at the bar stools. Yesterday it was Kelsey and Parker.

In conjunction with getting ready for school, Calla had a whole plot line running with Parker being her puppy dog. She is using Kelsey's robe sash as his leash and kept attaching him to different areas of the house to sit and wait while she brushed her teeth, packed her book bag, etc. haha

At 8:30, we were dropping the girls off at school. At drop off I just pull up to the curb and they hop out. The boys almost always have their pajamas on at drop off. Sometimes Mommy does too. Oops.

We got home and Parker went back to Calla's room to continue playing "puppy dog" by himself. He didn't last long. It turns out being a puppy isn't so fun without a puppy trainer.

I took Caroline upstairs to put her down for her morning nap and I peeked out the upstairs window to see if Jay and Wayne were playing nicely. It appeared Jay was giving Wayne a hand to get up on the trampoline for a jump. It is never too early for a trampoline jump.

Caroline was fast asleep by 9am. Bless her heart.

I came downstairs, and Wayne had finished up the trampoline and was building a tower with the magna-tiles. "Look at me, Look at me!" he said. He and Parker say this 3,205 times a day. It is the cutest thing.

Parker walked by with balls in a straw hat. I realized that Jay must have asked him to bring balls out to the trampoline. Jay likes to give the little boys instructions. Parker took several trips from the basement to the trampoline with little balls until they were all on the trampoline. There are about 100 of them. It was a nice way for Parker to spend some of his free time in my opinion hahaha.

 below: balls make the tramp way more fun

Meanwhile, I did some more laundry and started dinner. We were having pulled pork sandwiches so I put a shoulder roast in the crockpot and turned it to low.

I went upstairs to clean my bedroom. Jonathan was gone the night before and was getting home yesterday so I wanted to make sure the bedroom and bathroom were really clean. I came back downstairs and found Parker naked from the waist down. Well that's terrifying. I realized after a check on his bottom that he had pooped while I was gone. He is weird and likes to flush it before anyone knows. (Wayne, on the other hand, likes everyone to come to the bathroom and look at it before he flushes.)

Jay was over an hour into playing with balls on the trampoline.

I did my makeup in the first floor bathroom because I didn't want Parker to get into any more mischief. I am holding up LipSense, this new lip gloss that someone I know sells. You put it on in the morning and it's a lip stain that lasts all day long. It doesn't even come off on your glass/coffee cup when you take a drink. Or on Caroline's cheek when I give her a kiss. You have to take it off with soap at the end of the day. I love it!

 The boys were still playing outside so I made popcorn for an afternoon picnic I had. I used the popcorn maker that Andrew Tidwell bought us.

 Easy-peezy! You just turn the crank for 3 minutes and wah-la!

 The boys had a birthday gathering at a park so we decided to work on cards. Parker did his card and then helped Wayne with his. I am not sure if Wayne appreciated the help but he didn't complain.

 Jay's card for his friend Claire was so cute!

It was only 10:45am, and Caroline was still snoozing, but I was starving. I packed a lunch for the boys for the park and then I ate leftover chicken enchilada casserole with a dollop of sour cream. (-:

Caroline was up at about 11. She looks like a turtle when she wakes up. 

After I nursed and changed and dressed Caroline, we packed up the car to head out for the afternoon. On the agenda was a birthday gathering for Jay's friend Claire at the park and then the first grade end-of-the-year picnic for Kelsey's first grade class. Wayne and Parker would be missing their naps. I was dreading that part!

We stopped at the candy shop to get Claire some candy tokens as her gift and then headed to the park. Oops, the train delayed us. The boys love when that happens.

There were lots of friends at the park! And lots of mommy's friends too. Parker and Wayne are hidden in the second row of the photo but maybe you can find Jay?

 Jay and our friend Justin...(the son of my friends Jeff and Brooke. He was adopted from Burundi in February.)

We left the park at 1pm, I nursed Caroline in the car, I buckled everyone in their seats, and Jay realized he forgot his sweatshirt at the park. We drove back to the park for his sweatshirt. Then we got back on the road for the first grade picnic. We pulled in a half hour late but Kelsey was too busy painting rocks to notice. Hahaha!

below: Kelsey and her teacher Mrs. Hravatic and her best friend Kenzie.

Mrs. Hravatic did face painting for the kids which was so cute. Kelsey and Kenzie chose peace signs. hahaha.

There was a rock painting craft area and Kelsey painted no less than twelve rocks. Jay painted one and Parker painted one. I'm not sure if Wayne ever noticed the paint. He was too busy playing on the playground.

...and eating ice cream. There were lots of snacks. I brought Rice Krispy treats that I had made (I found a great tasting recipe yum) and popcorn.

First graders. Kelsey had such a sweet sweet class.

Parker and Wayne discovering the sand volleyball court. i should have brought sand toys. I only had 4,205 other things to haul over. (You know, spare shorts in case the boys had an accident. Food for Caroline. Diapers and wipes. And more wipes in case I ran out of wipes. And sneakers in case Jay wanted to run and his flip flops weren't working. And drinks in case there was only juice boxes and they would want water. And a change of clothes for Caroline in case she had another poop. And a plastic bag to put the poopy diaper in case she had a poop. ETC.!!!!!)

The room moms bought a present for Mrs. Hravatic from classroom funds that all the parents contributed to....the kids were so interested! Check out Jaybird! ha!

Caroline was due for a nap but she was feeling too pleasant to notice. Bless her heart!

The party ended at 3, so we loaded up into the car to drive to school to get Calla. Kelsey had received her yearbook so she was showing her brothers some pics while we waited for Calla to get out of her piano lesson at 4. Caroline had drifted off for a much-needed nap. The little boys got tired of looking at the yearbook so they watched a mini episode of Peppa Pig on my phone. ha

We all enjoyed a snack of rice krispy treats. yum.

After picking up Calla, we headed home and the kids played in the front yard for a while. I'm not sure why.

Since everyone was hanging on the front stoop I brought out Caroline's exersaucer so she could be part of the action. Notice Kelsey's very careful decorated rocks.

Rush hour traffic.

Kelsey decided to hijack a couple of my kitchen containers for a game for Calla and Jay. She hid all her new rocks in the backyard and gave them each a container to use to go find them. She is always coming up with stuff like that.

I walked by the bathroom at one point and Parker was working on poop #2. It's all we get done in a day. (Wiping bottoms.)

Caroline sat here like a little angel while I cut up fruit for dinner.

A few minutes later I checked on her and she was like this:

Awww...I peeked over at one point and thought she was asleep. But she was just resting her head.

I kept dinner simple with pulled pork, chips and salsa, and fruit.

Jonathan got home from Detroit! He flew in that afternoon and the kids were excited to see him. He is wondering why I am taking a picture of him sitting and talking to the kids.

The little boys hadn't napped so the kids ate promptly at 5:30. By 6, Parker was upstairs in the bath and Wayne was taking his turn on the potty.

The big kids were outside finishing dinner/jumping on the trampoline. I love serving dinner outside but the kids get so distracted!

Caroline was put in bed by 6:30, and Jonathan tucked Wayne and Parker in bed at around the same time after giving them a bath.

I came downstairs to see how Calla and Kelsey's clean-up job was doing outside and found them showing the neighbor girl their yearbooks. haha

At 7, Jonathan left to vacuum out the white van and to get food. He wanted to grill for us since he had been out of town. I decided to save the bbq pork sandwich for lunch someday.

At 7:45, he was home cooking.

I put Calla and Kelsey in bed at 8 and came down to dinner. Yum!

 Steak, veggies, baked potato and half of a roll.

Jonathan and I ate dinner together and then I did the dishes.

By 9 I was back on the couch doing some swimsuit shopping. Oh my goodness ! How impossible.

I spent a few minutes cleaning up the house and then did my devotions before bed. I love the book Mimi got me for Christmas from Nancy Guthrie: https://www.amazon.com/Year-Praying-through-Bible-Your/dp/1496413369.

11:20 ! I checked my phone and went to bed! That's a day in the life!