There are days I get the feeling T thinks I've sat around doing basically nothing while he has been at work all day. Today I've decided to track my hours.... or at least attempt to.
6:20 a.m. - Alarm goes off.... of course I push the snooze button. Did you really think I was a 'jump out of bed on the first alarm' kind of girl? If so, you are so wrong!
6:30 a.m. - Wake up. Take a few minutes to get out of bed, let the dog out, & see if Z is awake.
6:50 a.m. - Go see if Z is awake & realize I should have come in a few minutes earlier. He is still sleeping pretty soundly! Ugh. I don't like mornings like this. The last few days he's been awake when I got up. I like those days better than having to force him out of bed.
7:10 a.m. - Z is finally on his feet and out of his room! Once he is up, getting him to get dressed and ready doesn't take long. Good thing because the bus will be here by 7:30. He likes to eat lunch at school so most mornings he wont eat anything here.
7:27 a.m. - Bus is here. K is out of bed and running out to tell Z “Good-bye” to which I have to reign him back in because he is in his underwear, no pants. As soon as he realizes it he hurries to shut the door “we don't want them seeing my undies”. No, K, we don't want them seeing you in your undies!
7:30 to 7:45 a.m. - K and I take the papers out to burn. Today is garbage pick up day, so we set that out by the road too. He is such a good helper – when he wants to be!
During the time we were taking garbage out the big trucks from Hoffman's Farm started coming in. Must be they are going to cut the corn in the field behind Mom's house this morning.
7:45 to 8:30 a.m. - Fed the dogs. turned the eggs that are in the incubator. Now it is time to feed the outside critters. We started with the quail then moved on to the rabbits. We had just started watering the rabbits who are penned outside the barn when K headed for the house saying he was cold. He had shorts and a long sleeve shirt on but that wasn't enough on a morning when its a damp 47°. He never did return to help me. When I got back into the house he was sitting at the counter eating a can of peaches that he had opened all by himself. I guess it only makes sense – If I have to feed the furred and feathered critters, the kidlet must be hungry too.
8:30 to 9:00 a.m. - Clean up all of the toys that are scattered around the house. Not sure how we didn't get to this last evening before bed, but that isn't anything unusual. Sweep the floors. Then go back over the living room and dining room floors with the vacuum. K points out how much more dirt went into the vacuum canister even though I had just swept a lot up with the broom. I explain – again – if he and his brother would take their shoes and boots off as soon as the come in from outside there wouldn't be as much dirt on our floors each day. I swear it is a challenge for them, every day. To see who can track in the most dirt and mud. No worries, boys, your dad has you beat - hands down!
9:00 a.m. - I sat down to have a cup of coffee and check my email....”Somehow” I ended up on Facebook.
9:25 a.m. - I realize the time and decided I better get moving. I still haven't eaten, but that can wait.
9:30 to 10:00 a.m. - I cleaned cat litter boxes while K started to empty the dishwasher. I don't remember what distracted me but I didn't get back to help K. Then all of the sudden I heard Whiskey (the outside dog) barking and I realize that I hadn't taken him out by the barn. I like to do that so he doesn't scare 'my extra kids' who are coming for the day and their mother. Whiskey normally likes everyone but for some reason does not like they kids' mom. He was barking because the other kids are here. I ended up just bringing him through the house and onto the back porch while for now.
10:15 a.m. - Its time for K to start getting ready for school. He is in the afternoon Pre-K class so my Mom will be coming to pick him up soon. She gives him a ride to school on the days that I watch the other kids.
10:40 a.m. - “K you need to get out of the tub. Its time to go”. Typical day. He doesn't want to get a bath but then once I get him in the tub he doesn't want to get out.
Get him out of the tub, start getting him dressed and … Oh NO! … I still haven't packed his lunch!.. I know, I've had all morning, what seems to be the problem? … I throw something together really quick while Mom is helping him get his socks, shoes and coat on.
10:50 a.m. - K and Mom are out the door. They have twenty minutes until he has to be at the school door. Good thing they only have three miles to go.
10:50 to 11:45 a.m. - I spent this time reading to, redirecting and playing with the 1, 2, & 3 year old kiddos.
11:45 a.m. - The three Littles were all so chilled out this morning, I was about to lose them all to naps so I decided I better start lunch before they all fall asleep. Normally we don't do lunch until around 12:30 but today they are all extra tired or something. The three year old sounds like she has a cold so maybe that is why she's tired today.
12:00 to 1 p.m. - Lunch for the kiddos. I folded a load of laundry while they were eating. Got them all down for naps. Cleaned up from lunch.
1 p.m. - I ate lunch and spent some time catching up on emails and a few bloggers who I follow.
1:30 p.m. - Got a package of burger (just delivered to us last night) from the freezer, for tonight's dinner. The beef was raised on my land. The owner has cows but no land, I have land and not enough animals to eat all of the grass. This works out well for all of us.
Changed out the laundry, and put a load of towels into the washer. How does a family of four use SO many towels and wash clothes?
1:45 p.m. - Started writing this blog post. There are hundreds of things I should be doing, other than this, right now but there are three sleeping kiddos in my house so … Shhh.
I did manage to finish the job that K had started.... I emptied the dishwasher and then refilled it.
3:00 p.m. - How is it possible that its time to wake up the Littles! The older kids will be home soon.
3:30ish - 7:00 p.m. - Three crazy hungry kids get off the bus.
The other kids were picked up.
I made dinner. Everyone ate dinner.
I had Z practice his spelling words for tomorrow's test then K and I went out to start feeding animals, while Z watched tv with his dad.
I still have not located the crested ducks that we let out of their pen last week. I saw them one or two times after letting them out. I'm not sure if my pekin male has chased them all off or if something has eaten them. While feeding the buck goats I see that there is a white duck sitting in the pasture, all by itself. I sent K to herd or carry it back. He was a little leery at first because I've been telling him all summer to never go in the pasture because the bulls were in there. The bulls were sent to freezer camp last week, but K forgot that and was like "Mom, the bull will come get me". Poor little guy. I had to remind him they were no longer here. But I'm glad he knew to question me. He ended up carrying the duck to the fence and I carried it the rest of the way back to it's pen. It is very thin. I don't think its been eating or drinking for a few days. We looked around but still can't see the rest of them. There were five crested, two pekin, a black and white Swedish, and a grey and white Swedish. Maybe they've become coyote dinner.
Just as K and I were finishing up chores we heard the coyotes start howling not far away (at the base of the hill) and K got scared and decided he was going in the house. I have to admit they give me the heebie-jeebies too.
7:00 to 7:35 p.m. - Bedtime routine for Z and K.
7:45 p.m. - Remember the load of towels are still in the washer... guess I better empty the dryer and fold those clothes so I can dry the towels.
8:15 p.m. - Get a call from my mother saying she forgot she has an appoint and can't take K to school tomorrow. Now I have to figure out how I'm getting K to school tomorrow, or will he just stay home with me and the other kids for the day.
9:09 p.m. - Are you kidding me!?! The towels still have not made it into the dryer! I'm going to do that right now. As tired as I am I should go to bed, but anyone who knows me well, knows I'll still be awake a few hours from now.
6:20 a.m. - Alarm goes off.... of course I push the snooze button. Did you really think I was a 'jump out of bed on the first alarm' kind of girl? If so, you are so wrong!
6:30 a.m. - Wake up. Take a few minutes to get out of bed, let the dog out, & see if Z is awake.
6:50 a.m. - Go see if Z is awake & realize I should have come in a few minutes earlier. He is still sleeping pretty soundly! Ugh. I don't like mornings like this. The last few days he's been awake when I got up. I like those days better than having to force him out of bed.
7:10 a.m. - Z is finally on his feet and out of his room! Once he is up, getting him to get dressed and ready doesn't take long. Good thing because the bus will be here by 7:30. He likes to eat lunch at school so most mornings he wont eat anything here.
7:27 a.m. - Bus is here. K is out of bed and running out to tell Z “Good-bye” to which I have to reign him back in because he is in his underwear, no pants. As soon as he realizes it he hurries to shut the door “we don't want them seeing my undies”. No, K, we don't want them seeing you in your undies!
7:30 to 7:45 a.m. - K and I take the papers out to burn. Today is garbage pick up day, so we set that out by the road too. He is such a good helper – when he wants to be!
During the time we were taking garbage out the big trucks from Hoffman's Farm started coming in. Must be they are going to cut the corn in the field behind Mom's house this morning.
7:45 to 8:30 a.m. - Fed the dogs. turned the eggs that are in the incubator. Now it is time to feed the outside critters. We started with the quail then moved on to the rabbits. We had just started watering the rabbits who are penned outside the barn when K headed for the house saying he was cold. He had shorts and a long sleeve shirt on but that wasn't enough on a morning when its a damp 47°. He never did return to help me. When I got back into the house he was sitting at the counter eating a can of peaches that he had opened all by himself. I guess it only makes sense – If I have to feed the furred and feathered critters, the kidlet must be hungry too.
8:30 to 9:00 a.m. - Clean up all of the toys that are scattered around the house. Not sure how we didn't get to this last evening before bed, but that isn't anything unusual. Sweep the floors. Then go back over the living room and dining room floors with the vacuum. K points out how much more dirt went into the vacuum canister even though I had just swept a lot up with the broom. I explain – again – if he and his brother would take their shoes and boots off as soon as the come in from outside there wouldn't be as much dirt on our floors each day. I swear it is a challenge for them, every day. To see who can track in the most dirt and mud. No worries, boys, your dad has you beat - hands down!
9:00 a.m. - I sat down to have a cup of coffee and check my email....”Somehow” I ended up on Facebook.
9:25 a.m. - I realize the time and decided I better get moving. I still haven't eaten, but that can wait.
9:30 to 10:00 a.m. - I cleaned cat litter boxes while K started to empty the dishwasher. I don't remember what distracted me but I didn't get back to help K. Then all of the sudden I heard Whiskey (the outside dog) barking and I realize that I hadn't taken him out by the barn. I like to do that so he doesn't scare 'my extra kids' who are coming for the day and their mother. Whiskey normally likes everyone but for some reason does not like they kids' mom. He was barking because the other kids are here. I ended up just bringing him through the house and onto the back porch while for now.
10:15 a.m. - Its time for K to start getting ready for school. He is in the afternoon Pre-K class so my Mom will be coming to pick him up soon. She gives him a ride to school on the days that I watch the other kids.
10:40 a.m. - “K you need to get out of the tub. Its time to go”. Typical day. He doesn't want to get a bath but then once I get him in the tub he doesn't want to get out.
Get him out of the tub, start getting him dressed and … Oh NO! … I still haven't packed his lunch!.. I know, I've had all morning, what seems to be the problem? … I throw something together really quick while Mom is helping him get his socks, shoes and coat on.
10:50 a.m. - K and Mom are out the door. They have twenty minutes until he has to be at the school door. Good thing they only have three miles to go.
10:50 to 11:45 a.m. - I spent this time reading to, redirecting and playing with the 1, 2, & 3 year old kiddos.
11:45 a.m. - The three Littles were all so chilled out this morning, I was about to lose them all to naps so I decided I better start lunch before they all fall asleep. Normally we don't do lunch until around 12:30 but today they are all extra tired or something. The three year old sounds like she has a cold so maybe that is why she's tired today.
12:00 to 1 p.m. - Lunch for the kiddos. I folded a load of laundry while they were eating. Got them all down for naps. Cleaned up from lunch.
1 p.m. - I ate lunch and spent some time catching up on emails and a few bloggers who I follow.
1:30 p.m. - Got a package of burger (just delivered to us last night) from the freezer, for tonight's dinner. The beef was raised on my land. The owner has cows but no land, I have land and not enough animals to eat all of the grass. This works out well for all of us.
Changed out the laundry, and put a load of towels into the washer. How does a family of four use SO many towels and wash clothes?
1:45 p.m. - Started writing this blog post. There are hundreds of things I should be doing, other than this, right now but there are three sleeping kiddos in my house so … Shhh.
I did manage to finish the job that K had started.... I emptied the dishwasher and then refilled it.
3:00 p.m. - How is it possible that its time to wake up the Littles! The older kids will be home soon.
3:30ish - 7:00 p.m. - Three crazy hungry kids get off the bus.
The other kids were picked up.
I made dinner. Everyone ate dinner.
I had Z practice his spelling words for tomorrow's test then K and I went out to start feeding animals, while Z watched tv with his dad.
I still have not located the crested ducks that we let out of their pen last week. I saw them one or two times after letting them out. I'm not sure if my pekin male has chased them all off or if something has eaten them. While feeding the buck goats I see that there is a white duck sitting in the pasture, all by itself. I sent K to herd or carry it back. He was a little leery at first because I've been telling him all summer to never go in the pasture because the bulls were in there. The bulls were sent to freezer camp last week, but K forgot that and was like "Mom, the bull will come get me". Poor little guy. I had to remind him they were no longer here. But I'm glad he knew to question me. He ended up carrying the duck to the fence and I carried it the rest of the way back to it's pen. It is very thin. I don't think its been eating or drinking for a few days. We looked around but still can't see the rest of them. There were five crested, two pekin, a black and white Swedish, and a grey and white Swedish. Maybe they've become coyote dinner.
Just as K and I were finishing up chores we heard the coyotes start howling not far away (at the base of the hill) and K got scared and decided he was going in the house. I have to admit they give me the heebie-jeebies too.
7:00 to 7:35 p.m. - Bedtime routine for Z and K.
7:45 p.m. - Remember the load of towels are still in the washer... guess I better empty the dryer and fold those clothes so I can dry the towels.
8:15 p.m. - Get a call from my mother saying she forgot she has an appoint and can't take K to school tomorrow. Now I have to figure out how I'm getting K to school tomorrow, or will he just stay home with me and the other kids for the day.
9:09 p.m. - Are you kidding me!?! The towels still have not made it into the dryer! I'm going to do that right now. As tired as I am I should go to bed, but anyone who knows me well, knows I'll still be awake a few hours from now.
