Getting It Done: A Day in the Life

Today I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my strategy each day for "Getting It Done". The following is a schedule for my ideal day (Monday-Thursday). Notice that I said ideal, not typical. We are constantly needing to adjust things around and there are many days that certain things just don't get done. Also, Friday-Sunday are oddball days for me. Friday is Andy's day off and our family day. Saturday is a partial work day for Andy. Sundays are intense. Really intense.

5:30 AM- Wake up, begin workout ASAP

• Andy and I most often work out together to a DVD in our living room. Believe me, it's no Richard Simmons silly aerobic workout. We've done P90X together and have just started a new program called Insanity. The name says it all. Another workout DVD that I've done that is good and not quite as intense is Slim in 6. For me, it's hard to find time to get to the gym...especially with children in tow. So by having the options to workout at home, the only barrier keeping me from working out is if I choose not to get out of bed.
• I have to get my workout in early or I won't do it. I don't want to shower/get ready more than once a day so it either has to be at the beginning or end of the day. And it's best if I can do it when the kids are not awake. I have zero energy and motivation to work out once the boys go to sleep at night, so I just get up early.
• The boys are not "invited" out of their room until 7 AM. If they wake up before that (Sammy almost always does), then Sammy goes in the pack-n-play with some books and Caedmon has quiet room time.

6:45 AM- Shower, Get Ready (Andy helps with the boys if they are awake.)
7:30 AM- I'm on with the kids. Breakfast. Clean up from breakfast. Get boys dressed. Etc...
After breakfast- My time alone with God / Kids' TV time

• I allow my kids to watch 30 minutes-one hour of some sort of show per day. I'm strategic in my placement of it so that I can have that time to read my Bible. I go in my room, close the door, and focus. The reality is, I normally have to get up at least 2 or 3 times to break up a fight, help them if the show messes up somehow, etc. So, it's not exactly tranquil, but I cherish that time.

8:40 AM- T/TH preschool/room time

• On Tuesday/Thursday, Andy takes Caedmon to school if he's in town and doesn't have a morning meeting. Sammy has 30 minutes of room time. (Mandy has an awesome post explaining the purpose of room time if you'd like to read more about it.) I put a gate on the door to remind Sammy not to come out and I will help him select a few toys to focus playing with independently. Room time is tough for Sammy. He mainly stands at the gate and calls for me. Not in a hysterical crying way, but just a "I'm not sure why I'm stuck back here" kind of way. Room time is still a new concept for him and he'll figure it out soon. I remember Caedmon doing the exact same thing when he was younger.

9:00 AM- M/W preschool at home!

• I've started being a little more intentional about supplementing Caedmon's education with some at-home activities. Caedmon will be starting kindergarten next year and is only going to preschool two mornings a week. So, I'm just adding a little to what he's getting at preschool. Sammy participates as well (kinda). I'll share more about this later, but I get almost all my ideas from this website.

10:00 or 10:30 AM- Out and About

• Running errands, library, playground, playdates, etc...

12:00 PM- Pick up Caedmon from preschool (T/TH), head home for lunch

1:30 PM- Sammy naps/ Caedmon room time/ I'm on the computer

• Caedmon's room time is a little different than Sammy's. He no longer needs a gate to remind him to stay in his room. He doesn't need as much assistance choosing his activities (though sometimes I still help him if he seems bored). He engages more in the play and can have a more extended period of room time.
• My computer time is devoted to writing a blog post, updating our finances, writing our monthly newsletter, and returning emails (which I'm horrible at). Sammy typically takes an hour- an hour and a half nap. That's a lot shorter than the 2-3 hour naps that Caedmon used to take every day. I'm learning to adjust and be very focused with the time that I get.

3:00 PM-  Snack/Candy time

• If Sammy took a nap and Caedmon stayed in his room, they both get to choose a piece of candy. They also normally have some milk and a snack at this point.
• Then we're back at "it"...whatever "it" is for the day. Riding bikes, errands, outdoor play, etc...

5:00 PM- Dinner prep / Computer time

• While I prep dinner, I let Caedmon have 30 minutes of computer time. He can play on either starfall.com, pbskids.com, or disneyjunior.com. Sammy either watches him or plays around the house by himself.

5:30 PM- ANDY'S HOME! Dinner time.

• His arrival time fluctuates slightly, but he really makes an effort to get home around 5:30 everyday. When he walks through that door, it is a big moment and highlight of our day. The boys race to see who is going to get the first hug and then typically begin a wrestling match.
• We normally eat dinner somewhere between 5:30-6:00.

After dinner- Family time

• We try to really focus on family during this time between dinner and bedtime. Andy does an awesome job taking the lead in this. It looks different from night to night.

6:30 PM- Bath time/ Bedtime routine

• I'll tell you a secret if you promise not to judge me...we normally only bathe our kids every other day. Unless they're super dirty. Saves time and energy and last time I checked there was no fungus growing on them!
• Bedtime routine includes brushing teeth, reading a Bible story from The Jesus Storybook Bible, prayer, I sing at least one song, and I recently started quoting Psalm 23 to them each night. Someone told me that if you quote the same scripture to your kids every night, they will memorize it before long. Makes sense.

7:00-7:30 PM- Boys in bed

7:30-9:00 PM- Time with Andy

• Some nights we work, some nights we watch a show, some nights we have a good conversation. It just depends.

9:00-9:30 PM- Get ready for bed

• If I'm going to get up at 5:30 AM, I have to go to bed at 9:30 PM. That makes for a short evening for us, but it's a values call. We value working out so this is just our system for making it work.

So, that's a ideal day in my life. Not super-exciting, but it's how I fit in my Top 4.