Monday, December 10, 2012

Trial & Error Routines: A Day Off



Wednesday is the only weekday I have "off" completely, for now.  My schedule will completely change in January.

But for now, I start my day with a frantic rush to fix anything that has gone haywire during the first two days of the week.  A stove piled with groceries that can't be cooked on, an overdue library book that no one has read, couches being used as book shelves or a makeshift coat closet, a dining room table taken straight from an episode of Hoaders... It's amazing what can happen in just two days!

7:00 am - Wake up, nurse Raegan, snuggle Landon.  Since I don't have to "be ready" when Landon leaves for school, we make some chill-time in the morning.  We usually watch an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond from NetFlix.  We say goodbye to Daddy.  We talk about school.  We play with the baby.  It's just a special time for the two of us.

7:30 am - Make beds, get dressed, get kids dressed, breakfast, laundry, take the dog out, feed dog.  I heat up Landon's waffles and start on lunches right away.  Then I make myself a shake and take care of the dog.  Landon feeds the dog when he's done with breakfast.  I throw diapers in the washer for the initial rinse cycle before we leave.  We're not in such a rush to get to the bus stop, because it's not a problem for me to just take him to school if we're running behind.

8:10 am - Leave for bus stop.  This bus can be super early or super late, so we never know what's going to happen in the morning.  I usually bring along spelling words to practice or make my to-do list for the day while we wait.

8:30 am - Laundry, feed Raegan, tidy-up.  I try to start the wash cycle for the diapers as soon as we get home, but sometimes I don't remember until halfway through the morning.  I give Raegan her baby-food breakfast and not long after that she's ready for her morning nap.  Sometimes I rock her, but sometimes she falls asleep in her bouncy seat.  Then, I start to scramble to tackle something before she wakes back up.  Usually it's a kitchen counter or the dining room table.  Sometimes it's a cluttered living room that I get ready for vacuuming (read: remove all Legos from floor).

10:00 am - Raegan wakes up, nurse Raegan, laundry, watch TV or computer.  I try to switch the laundry when I hear it beep, but Raegan's sleep schedule is my back-up reminder.  When awake, Raegan sits on her own and can entertain herself for a short while.  We cuddle and babble and if she's hungry I nurse her.  If she's content, I check my email, read blog posts, and watch YouTube videos.  She's fine as long as she can see me.  Sometimes she watches with me.  She's a big fan of Taylor Swift's new video, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."



"I also just learned to stick out my tongue and I will show you at every opportunity."
11:30 am - Lunch, laundry, dishes, prep for dinner.  Raegan loves sweet potatoes, but she'll eat almost anything.  She eats about half a container of baby food for lunch and I make myself pasta, eggs, or a shake.  I switch the laundry over to the dryer (or if it's nice outside, I use the clothesline).  I get the dishes done and get out anything I need for dinner.  Sometimes, I try to get some freezer cooking done.  I might I start the crockpot with something like chicken breast that I will shred and freeze.  Or I might make a batch of waffles.  Or I might chop up some potatoes or onions to freeze.

1:00 pm - Naptime.  Yes, we both nap.  Raegan still doesn't sleep through the night.  She can, but she rarely does.  Nursing also sucks up all of my energy (but burns a ton of calories!!)

3:20 pm - Pick Landon up from the bus stop.  While I'm waiting for the bus, I tidy up my car and go over my weekly planner to add things and check things off.  Sometimes I take something to read, but my car gets pretty messy so cleaning it usually takes up most of that time.  Once, I tried to skip the nap, and I fell asleep in the car waiting for the bus.  Oops.

3:45 pm - Put things away, homework, start dinner (sometimes).  As soon as we get home, I try to put things away and get them ready for tomorrow.  Landon starts his homework while I finish things up from the day.  Every other week, I cook dinner for Chris and I.  Every other week, Landon and I go to church with my family and we go out for pizza.  Chris doesn't get home from work in time to go with us because he works late every Wednesday.  Those weeks, Chris eats leftovers or stops to get himself fast food or makes himself a pizza at home.

5:45 pm - Dinner and church.  If I cooked, this is when we eat, then I leave for Bible Study at 6:45.  If not, it's when we leave to go to dinner, and we go to church straight from dinner.  Raegan eats her baby-food dinner with us.  We always go to the same pizza place.  It's a fun little event that Landon looks forward to every week.  Every Wednesday he asks what time his grandparents are picking him up or if I'm taking him.  One night in October, there was a trick-or-treat event at the local college so I suggested we all go.  Landon said, "I'd rather go to church.  God is what is really important, anyway."  Such wisdom from my little man!

8:30 pm - Landon's bedtime, nurse Raegan.  If I'm at Bible Study, Chris puts Landon to bed as soon as he gets home.  Since bedtime is later on Wednesdays, because of church, I let him sleep in on Thursdays.  Whenever I get home I nurse Raegan.  Sometimes I do it while I'm reading Landon his devotions.

10:00 pm - My bedtime.  I'm usually wired and want to tell Chris all about what I learned that night.  I want to hear about his day.  And, I need to put away all the laundry I did that I piled on our bed.

All in all, Wednesday is really a catch-up day for me.  But, I don't get headaches and I don't feel like crashing into bed at 7:30 pm.  The house looks almost presentable when I turn out the lights and that's a good feeling for me.  It's ready for the other half of my week, when I work nights instead of days.

 

More to come in this series!  Next week I'll be writing about what I do when I work in the evenings.  Don't miss a post!!  Subscribe to Trial and Error Homemaking.

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