Since the last time I posted, my days have changed SUBSTANTIALLY. It's gone from super-crazy to super-crazier. The thing I get asked most often by readers is, "How do you do it?" I'll let you in on the super duper secret on-goings of the household as of now. Ok, so they're not so secret. :) But, if you wonder how someone else gets through their day, this is pretty close to how my normal day rolls.
I've had to completely re-focus on keeping up my home. With the kids getting older and a little bit easier to manage during the day, it is possible for me to keep most things up now.
Because I'm busy, I'm not going to re-list allll of these things, so here are my recurring tasks/activities in a list form.
DAILY:
Dishes, take out the trash (which is actually quite the production, I have to wait until the kids are asleep to go outside, they like to follow), wipe down bathroom and kitchen, clean the dining room table with Pledge, one load of laundry to completion, vacuum all carpet (sometimes twice), get the mail, and clear clutter from the car.
WEEKLY:
Mondays - Meal Planning Day and Grocery Store.
Tuesday - Yoga Day, college classes, and Will's Preschool.
Wednesday - Spin Class.
Thursday - Yoga, Preschool, college classes and Bible study.
Friday - House Deep Cleaning Day, Date Night.
Saturday - Homework day and Photo Shoots.
Sunday - Church, Lunch with Family, and a Complicated Dinner (something that I would only make once a week because it takes so long!).
If you want to read another play-by-play of a full day... this part of the blog is for you! LOL
Typical Tuesday:
7:30am - Wake up and get ready before the kiddos wake up. I have actually been doing everything... hair, makeup, the works EVERY day unless I am going to the gym. Throw down the coffee.
8:00 am - Go in and get the kids up, dressed, teeth and hair brushed. Giggle at how excited Will gets when his teeth are clean. "Do they sparkle, Mommy? Good job Will!!!!" Oh, the adorableness.
8:30 am am- Get breakfast in the wee people. This Tuesday it was waffles with strawberries and cream. They devoured it and begged for more!
9:00 am- Play legos or trains with the boys, whichever seems more fun at the moment. It's a subjective decision.
9:30 am- Attempt to leave for the gym to be a half hour early for yoga class.
10:10 am - Miserably fail in leaving on time due to unforseen problems such as losing one shoe... then realizing my keys must also be where this shoe is because they are gone, too! Get there 10 minutes after my target time, and have to wait in the now enormous line while trying to keep all three boys from running away.
10:30 - Class begins. I quickly realize that I'm not as flexible as I once was, and promptly pull a muscle that will make me want to say "ouchie" through the rest of the class. Out loud.
11:30 - Attempt to wrangle all the boys to the car after class is over... chase them around the exit for about 10 minutes before deciding to physically carry them all one by one to the car pulled up to the building. Yes, I'm in the way and parked in a no-parking zone, but if anyone comes up to me and tells me to move the car to a "real" parking spot while I load the boys, I'll just give them the look of death and hand them a screaming child. That should solve the problem.
11:55 am - Arrive at home and start getting lunch ready while listening to my new ipod. Unfortunately, it was a tad too loud while making sandwiches because I didn't notice the boys getting into the cabinet and eating my entire stash of chocolate. I must have been really getting down with my bad self. Darnit. Note to self: keep the funk in check while the boys are prowling.
12:00 pm - get the wee ones rounded up for lunch. Pray with them before the meal - and listen to all the amazing things their little hearts have stored up. I just love this part of the day!!! Will - "Dear Jesus, thank you for Thomas and hot dogs and cotton candy and chocolate and Percy, and James, and Gordon..." all while the twins repeat in unison, "AAAAMEN! AAAAMEN!" LOVE IT!
12:20 pm - get all the kiddos whisked into the car and take Will to Preschool. Thankfully it's only 5 minutes away. ;)
12:40 pm - make it back home and get the twinners entertained with something so I can clean up the lunch mess.
12:45 pm- crawl around on my hands and knees picking up whatever food the little darlings chucked during their meal, and put the gooey mess on a plate over and over again. Least favorite part of the day.
1:00 pm - play dinosaurs with the boys while I try to vaccuum at the same time. This is harder than it looks, though the noise makes a convincing T-rex sound.
1:30 pm - try to convince the boys to come downstairs and "help" me move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. Hand them each piece, knowing that even though it takes three times as long it sure is cute that they want to help, and I'm going to encourage their interest in housework in any way I can!
2:00 pm - start to move them all into quiet time mode. Now that they don't really nap, I spend an hour with them in their room and try to keep them quiet for just an hour. We read a lot (Biscuit is their favorite), and when they start getting noisy or get off their bed I stop reading, which so far is an effective deterrent.
2:45 pm - get the twins back into the car to pick Will up from Preschool. I refuse to be the mother whose kid looks around aimlessly while all the other kids leave because I was late, so I am incredibly punctual with this task. Even if the twins were doused in pickle juice 3 seconds before we left, I'd toss them in the car and wait for my little man. They could always be changed later. ;)
3:30 pm - Get all the kiddos in the door, strategically avoiding the bikes stored in the garage... major temptation! Walk them all upstairs and promise book, then TRY to get them to take a nap. If they don't, then at least it sure gets a lot of calories burned by my running up and down the stairs. The little stinkers escape and I have to put them back down in bed about 30 times before either they give up or naptime is over.
4:30 pm - Start working on dinner. Realize that if I am not careful, I will eat half of it before it is done. I love new recipes, but I hate my chubby waistline!!! :)
5:00 pm - Deal with any kiddos that woke up - they tend to scream for a long time when they awaken, and comfort and rock them. Try not to cry myself. What ever happened to a good long nap!?!?!?
5:30 - Get the table set nicely for our family dinner time. This is another one of my favorite times of day... the kids are so sweet when I make them something special. Tonight it's mashed sweet potatoes and turkey meatloaf with tomato-red pepper chutney. SO good! Will keeps saying over and over again, "Mommy, thank you for makin' me special dinner! I love you!"
5:45 - Start clearing the plates and picking up the inevitable thrown-food mess. *Le sigh.* This is still my least favorite task.
6:00 pm - Start to freak out. WHEN is bedtime again? Surely it has to be soon...!
7:00 pm - Decide to watch whatever show is on TV at that moment with all three kiddos in my lap for cuddle time. I have basic cable without any kind of DVR, so it's the luck of the draw. Decide against whatever weirdness is on at the moment, and throw in a Cook's Country dvd. Learning how to make something new is so much more productive than watching a sitcom, sometimes.
8:00 pm - Take the kiddos up to the room and rock each of them individually until they fall asleep. I become a human Ipod at this hour... singing whatever requests the kiddos come up with. Sometimes they ask me to switch mid-song. I am sure this whole proceeding would harm passers-by if the window was open. ;)
9:00 pm - FINALLY all are asleep, and I am able to go downstairs and pick up any errant toys and do a little scrubbing. I never knew how wonderful having an Ipod was until recently... now I can't clean without it! Silent for the kiddos, rockin' out for me. Perfect!
10:00 pm - Log into school online, work on some homework, and plan my week to accommodate the two papers I have to write. I'll likely head down to the Kroc with my computer so that I can work kid-free during my most productive time of day.
11:00 - Bursting at the seams inside, I decide to sit down and write a blog.
12:00 - Finish up the blog for proof-reading tomorrow, and roll into bed.
12:15 - Begin reading whatever book I have on my nightstand.
12:30 - Close my eyes, ready to start over tomorrow!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Living a 3-d life.
Just when you think you have it all figured out, life sneaks up on you and WHAM! Another life-changing surprise to deal with and adjust to.
This week has been spent largely trying to accommodate a couple of new dimensions of my schedule, and deep in thought about my future. Mostly, how miserable it can be to live a two dimensional life.
Everything looks better on paper. Dates (especially - lol), jobs, to-do lists... even marriages. "Married with three kids, a successful husband and a house with a white picket fence and a dog" can be the most miserable h-e-double-hockey sticks that anyone could ever live in.
This week, while thinking about the depth and richness of relationships, I began to have some new thoughts as a result of my current circumstances. It has been a virtual awakening for me, truly praying about and considering the quality of each relationship I have, and which ones I want to devote more time and energy to, as well as those I don't.I am looking for connections that are lasting, deep and true. They are what I would consider 3-d relationships. They have substance, they bring great joy and they endure great sorrow.
Then, there are the 2-d relationships we foster with hundreds, if not thousands of individuals that we encounter on a yearly basis. The ones that drain us and we feel like we are having to "put on a show" for.
The worst of all of these relationships are the 1-d relationships. Usually from those who want something from you, perpetually. They don't give anything... they just take. Those are the toxic ones I wish to avoid, and to learn to stand up for myself to protect my heart from such relationships (which I am a sucker for) is absolutely crucial to my heart's emotional fitness.
The same principle applies to our day-to-day activities, as well.
What are you investing your time with?
Exercise?
Outdoor activities?
Crafting?
Watching television?
What are the levels of quality associated with each? Do they enrich your life, or just kill time?
The last few days have been wonderful - I've kept up on my housework and felt an overall sense of achievement and joy, despite the crazy that keeps re-occurring. It's inevitable in life. People let you down. People stand you up. People will disappoint you thousands and thousands of times.
God never will disappoint us, and he created rich and wonderful things for us to fill our time with here in this life, if we will only take him up on it. I hope to continue to re-direct my attention from the things that hold me down to the wonderful blessings that are scattered throughout my life and enjoy the present in all its fullness.
This week has been spent largely trying to accommodate a couple of new dimensions of my schedule, and deep in thought about my future. Mostly, how miserable it can be to live a two dimensional life.
Everything looks better on paper. Dates (especially - lol), jobs, to-do lists... even marriages. "Married with three kids, a successful husband and a house with a white picket fence and a dog" can be the most miserable h-e-double-hockey sticks that anyone could ever live in.
This week, while thinking about the depth and richness of relationships, I began to have some new thoughts as a result of my current circumstances. It has been a virtual awakening for me, truly praying about and considering the quality of each relationship I have, and which ones I want to devote more time and energy to, as well as those I don't.I am looking for connections that are lasting, deep and true. They are what I would consider 3-d relationships. They have substance, they bring great joy and they endure great sorrow.
Then, there are the 2-d relationships we foster with hundreds, if not thousands of individuals that we encounter on a yearly basis. The ones that drain us and we feel like we are having to "put on a show" for.
The worst of all of these relationships are the 1-d relationships. Usually from those who want something from you, perpetually. They don't give anything... they just take. Those are the toxic ones I wish to avoid, and to learn to stand up for myself to protect my heart from such relationships (which I am a sucker for) is absolutely crucial to my heart's emotional fitness.
The same principle applies to our day-to-day activities, as well.
What are you investing your time with?
Exercise?
Outdoor activities?
Crafting?
Watching television?
What are the levels of quality associated with each? Do they enrich your life, or just kill time?
The last few days have been wonderful - I've kept up on my housework and felt an overall sense of achievement and joy, despite the crazy that keeps re-occurring. It's inevitable in life. People let you down. People stand you up. People will disappoint you thousands and thousands of times.
God never will disappoint us, and he created rich and wonderful things for us to fill our time with here in this life, if we will only take him up on it. I hope to continue to re-direct my attention from the things that hold me down to the wonderful blessings that are scattered throughout my life and enjoy the present in all its fullness.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
15 Ways to Escalate a Misunderstanding
This is for your "what it's worth department" and it may help you to think through a tough or intense situation!
The content is from my Cultural Diversity teacher, and I thought it would be useful for anyone reading this blog! :)
* 1. Not listening carefully. We know when your attention is divided.
* 2. Casually dismissing an incident, a problem, or a situation with comments like "sounds like a personal problem to me." or "How is that MY problem?" Annoying to hear!
* 3. Attempting to deflect the importance of or to minimize a problem. It makes some people's concerns seem unimportant.
* 4. Taking a stand for inaction by making statements that reflect and attitude of not caring, or of avoidance with statements like "What can you do?" That kind of thing isn't really seeking an answer.
* 5. Being too self absorbed to care or pay attention. This will be obvious to others.
* 6. Making comments or promises that are insincere. People have radar for this stuff!
* 7. Having unrealistic expectations of another person, their work, or their attempts to remedy a problem. This can backfire, you should be reasonable with yourself and others.
* 8. Relying on assumptions without looking into or investigating a situation or a problem. Big Mistake!
* 9. Making judgments based on incomplete information, or on your perceptions alone. Better check your attitude and investigate.
* 10. Responding with sarcasm. Do you want to be thought of as a "jerk"?
* 11. Displaying feelings of hostility through words, facial gestures, and body language. DO NOT act this way with the police!!!
* 12. Not holding your temper (same as above), and judging someone's reaction with a hostile response. This may provoke an attitude adjustment that you would not like.
* 13. Using harsh words and/or yelling. This makes people not want to listen to you.
* 14. Laying blame on someone without due regard for engaging them in a conversation or avenue of discovery, and of course not involving them in problem solving. Examine why you are laying blame. Is it or will it be productive and helpful. Watch your language.
* 15. Using blatant insults, name-calling, and or other words that are defamatory. I know! It's hard to refrain from letting someone know how you feel with ahem...passionate words.
The content is from my Cultural Diversity teacher, and I thought it would be useful for anyone reading this blog! :)
* 1. Not listening carefully. We know when your attention is divided.
* 2. Casually dismissing an incident, a problem, or a situation with comments like "sounds like a personal problem to me." or "How is that MY problem?" Annoying to hear!
* 3. Attempting to deflect the importance of or to minimize a problem. It makes some people's concerns seem unimportant.
* 4. Taking a stand for inaction by making statements that reflect and attitude of not caring, or of avoidance with statements like "What can you do?" That kind of thing isn't really seeking an answer.
* 5. Being too self absorbed to care or pay attention. This will be obvious to others.
* 6. Making comments or promises that are insincere. People have radar for this stuff!
* 7. Having unrealistic expectations of another person, their work, or their attempts to remedy a problem. This can backfire, you should be reasonable with yourself and others.
* 8. Relying on assumptions without looking into or investigating a situation or a problem. Big Mistake!
* 9. Making judgments based on incomplete information, or on your perceptions alone. Better check your attitude and investigate.
* 10. Responding with sarcasm. Do you want to be thought of as a "jerk"?
* 11. Displaying feelings of hostility through words, facial gestures, and body language. DO NOT act this way with the police!!!
* 12. Not holding your temper (same as above), and judging someone's reaction with a hostile response. This may provoke an attitude adjustment that you would not like.
* 13. Using harsh words and/or yelling. This makes people not want to listen to you.
* 14. Laying blame on someone without due regard for engaging them in a conversation or avenue of discovery, and of course not involving them in problem solving. Examine why you are laying blame. Is it or will it be productive and helpful. Watch your language.
* 15. Using blatant insults, name-calling, and or other words that are defamatory. I know! It's hard to refrain from letting someone know how you feel with ahem...passionate words.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Learning to say no...
I'm a people pleaser. It is just my nature. I want the people around me to feel loved and cared for.
I'm also direct. When you do something I feel is harmful, I'm not going to beat around the bush and keep quiet. I'm going to politely go to you and let you know that what you are doing is hurting me. Tactful, but direct.
Through the inevitable difficulty this has brought at times, I'm learning something important.
How to say no.
How to say "no" to a friendship. How to say "no" to a conversation. How to say "no" to participating in events with people who do harmful things, no matter how guilty I feel. I have to do what is best for me.
I've also learned:
Why I don't always have to explain myself if someone thinks ill of me. God will show them in time what truth is.
Why sometimes the best thing to say is nothing, even when someone is attacking you. Again, God reveals truth.
Why I have just one person whose opinion I should be concerned about - and that is God.
Why you should choose friends and confidants wisely, because inevitably, when you make a poor choice in a friend, they will betray you in ways you never thought possible. God is the best confidant. He will never disappoint me.
There are things that we all need to learn about our strengths and our weaknesses, and I choose to be a person who listens to criticism, and try to improve.
Oprah once said, "Turn your wounds into wisdom." I plan on doing just that.
I'm also direct. When you do something I feel is harmful, I'm not going to beat around the bush and keep quiet. I'm going to politely go to you and let you know that what you are doing is hurting me. Tactful, but direct.
Through the inevitable difficulty this has brought at times, I'm learning something important.
How to say no.
How to say "no" to a friendship. How to say "no" to a conversation. How to say "no" to participating in events with people who do harmful things, no matter how guilty I feel. I have to do what is best for me.
I've also learned:
Why I don't always have to explain myself if someone thinks ill of me. God will show them in time what truth is.
Why sometimes the best thing to say is nothing, even when someone is attacking you. Again, God reveals truth.
Why I have just one person whose opinion I should be concerned about - and that is God.
Why you should choose friends and confidants wisely, because inevitably, when you make a poor choice in a friend, they will betray you in ways you never thought possible. God is the best confidant. He will never disappoint me.
There are things that we all need to learn about our strengths and our weaknesses, and I choose to be a person who listens to criticism, and try to improve.
Oprah once said, "Turn your wounds into wisdom." I plan on doing just that.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Here I am... at midnight... still awake...
The last few days have been a rare torture for me.
All three of my kids have gotten sick, in succession. First Matthew, then Shane, then William... all to culminate today with all three sick at the same time. It was full of excitement, that's for sure.
Mostly, it was just screaming. A lot of screaming. I can't make them all happy at once. There is ALWAYS one of them screaming. There is only one of me, and three of them... they ALL want to be held individually. This makes life hard, because I don't have a cloning machine.
It's moments like this that I really wish I had someone else to comfort them, to encourage me... in other words... to just be HERE. Even if only in their thoughts.
I am blessed to have friends and family help, though - and I am at not means at my breaking point. I was there yesterday, but thankfully my mother came to my rescue and took just the twins for the night (THANKS, MOM!!!). Today, it's a different place in my heart. Accepting that I am here, but an intense longing for someone to be by my side through the good and the bad is missing, and that can be frustrating.
I am simply waiting on God to bring the right one into the picture. If it happens, I'd be thrilled. If it doesn't, I understand. God will just have to equip me to handle these things myself, if the latter is my destined path.
I'll likely be up most of the night.
Pray for me!
All three of my kids have gotten sick, in succession. First Matthew, then Shane, then William... all to culminate today with all three sick at the same time. It was full of excitement, that's for sure.
Mostly, it was just screaming. A lot of screaming. I can't make them all happy at once. There is ALWAYS one of them screaming. There is only one of me, and three of them... they ALL want to be held individually. This makes life hard, because I don't have a cloning machine.
It's moments like this that I really wish I had someone else to comfort them, to encourage me... in other words... to just be HERE. Even if only in their thoughts.
I am blessed to have friends and family help, though - and I am at not means at my breaking point. I was there yesterday, but thankfully my mother came to my rescue and took just the twins for the night (THANKS, MOM!!!). Today, it's a different place in my heart. Accepting that I am here, but an intense longing for someone to be by my side through the good and the bad is missing, and that can be frustrating.
I am simply waiting on God to bring the right one into the picture. If it happens, I'd be thrilled. If it doesn't, I understand. God will just have to equip me to handle these things myself, if the latter is my destined path.
I'll likely be up most of the night.
Pray for me!
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