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!