A look at a typical daily routine for me right now:
Around 7:30am. Wake up with Joseph giving us some serious grins and needing a feed. I spend some morning time in bed with him. Sam usually gets a little amount of time to enjoy all those grins before he heads off to work.
8am. Admit that Josephs nappy needs attention. Shower myself and him at the same time.. or just do a top and tail wash and get him decent for the morning.
Throw on some clothes and go downstairs where we get greeted by "oh hellow Jo-suf" and three boys come in for the kill... okay well actually just the snuggles. I hand him over and get to steal him back if he grunts, needs winding or a wants a top up.
8:30am. Have some breakfast. These days its oats and healthy toppings. Or a smoothie. Or if Im lazy, a piece of toast with marmite. Throw that down and make some attempt to hit chores.. clean up kitchen, put a load of washing on, pull out something for dinner, check the diary, clean out bins and make a mental note of how many corners of the house Id like to attack. Choose one.
9am. Get boys onto schoolwork. We usually start the day with scripture. These days the boys choose their own proverb for the day. While they are writing and illustrating, I get Joseph to sleep and sort Amy some breakfast and get her hair done.
10am. Set boys next task.. writing.. then race upstairs and make my own bed, throw on some make up and while Im doing that, meditate on my scripture for the day, as well as do my Caroline Leaf Brain Detox.
10:30am. Set boys up on quiet reading and reading to Amy. Do a quick tidy up, upstairs. Lay out Amys clothes for following morning.
About 3-4 times a year I do a wardrobe sort on each of the kids wardrobes. I keep them pretty slim line and choose co ordinating colours amongst them so they can grab one thing, and generally it wont clash with another. So at the moment, I also take ten to 15 minutes in one wardrobe and do a quick sort.. pull out things that are too small, note any things I need to buy and set aside anything that needs some stain/ iron attention.
11am. Morning Tea time.
I pop out a plate of rice crackers and almonds, and another one of chopped peach and a sprinkle of dark chocolate buttons and some yoghurt for kids. I make myself a herbal tea, and start soaking some dates because Im out of my latest go to snack.. bliss balls/ energy bites etc.. so instead eat a piece of sourdough wholegrain toast, munch a couple of almonds and hang out the washing. Grab in the dry washing. While Im folding it, and sipping on a peppermint tea, and theyre munching, I talk with the kids about whats on their minds.
11:30am. Its science time but today Nate is writing a book about his friend who is partially blind and how he has found ways to help him.. but also, how his friend has been a help to him. I quietly thank God that they have each other. I wonder if this little friend of his knows how much I see the blessing in him and the blessing he is to us. Ben wants to write a book about Spying. I let him run with the inspiration. Tim is reading, again. Always reads. I steal him away from his book and set him up with his science, Flying Creatures. Amy has snuck off and put on Mickey Mouse on the tv with the headphones. I grab some books out to read her, and her phonics lessons, and spend some time with her. Then I set her up on some jolly phonics activity sheets.
12pm. Race upstairs and pop some washing away and while there, do a quick wipe down of the upstairs bathroom. Order some thank you cards to send out, from Josephs birth.
12:30pm Nate starts making lunch for the kids. This is his responsibility each day.
12:45pm Joseph wakes up. I feed him one side and enjoy sitting and chatting with him while the kids eat lunch. When Ive finished feeding Joseph, and given him a nappy change I grab a moment to have some lunch too. On Sundays and Wednesday nights I make Mason Jar Salads which are proving to be ridiculously fantastic. It takes a little prep.. cook some quinoa and brown rice, roast some vegetables and then cool and assemble into jars with fresh vegetables and rocket etc. But the effort is worth it. So I throw one of these into a bowl and down it with a big glass of water. And chat to Joseph in between mouthfuls.
While the kids are talking to him, I pop another load of washing out on the line and throw a few more things into the machine. I usually do about three loads a day. A light, a dark, and a towels/wipes/cloths load.
1:30pm. I get the kids into their maths and answer questions while snuggling Joseph. I quickly download Reading Eggs on the ipad for Amy and get her set up on phonics work to match her learning this morning.
1:50pm Joseph is getting grizzly so I wrap him up and pop him into his bed. He's asleep 2 minutes later.
2pm. The house feels quiet! The kids are doing their work so I set about draining the dates and making the bliss balls. I so need a decent food processor! This takes ages cause the mix slides up the side of the bowl rather than staying where the blade is. After quite some effort, theyre done. I get clever and do a diy raw chocolate coating on them. Then I make some roast red pepper hummus.. in between I field questions about maths, jolly phonics and what Im making.
2:45pm. Take advantage of said hummus and devour some on a piece of sourdough. I make a mental note to hunt down some nice jars. My 'health corner' of the pantry has slowly taken over to half the space. Legumes, pulses, nuts, seeds, quinoa and brown rice and things like that seem to form the basis of my diet these days. It wasn't planned. I had every intention of dropping said "health freak" stuff when Joseph was born but tastebuds change, I guess, and I just feel SO good and excited about eating right. My body likes it.
Clear up kitchen again and wish I could get SO excited about that. Not so much.
3:15pm. Set kids on next learning tasks, language. Try and tidy up dining room/ lounge area.
3:45pm. Make myself a Decaf coffee and sit on the couch with a bliss ball in hand. Read some Proverbs.
4:10pm. Head off out the door to take Tim to choir. Go and swap a pair of shoes while we wait for him.
5:30pm Pick him up, come home and feed Joseph. Do a nappy change which quickly becomes a bath job. Have a bath with him and set the boys up on a game.
6pm. Finally heat up some dinner. Thankfully an easy night.. leftover Welsh Cawl from the night before. Sam is out for the evening doing some work. Its grumpy hour for Joseph. Throw the dummy in his mouth and walk around with him for a while.
7pm. Take Amy upstairs while still bouncing Joseph and get her teeth brushed and into bed. Cuddle her. Settle Joseph some more.
7:30pm. Joseph and Amy down. Joseph wakes up a few minutes later with a windy tummy. Resettle him. Get Ben and Nate into bed.
8pm. Go back downstairs and realize Im craving coffee. Make myself a super healthy warming drink instead (beetroot, apple, carrot, raspberries, blueberries and cinnamon. Cook up some kumara while Im there for my Mason Jar salads.
8:30pm. Sit down to watch a little bit of Anne of Green Gables with Tim for a date night, complete with some hummus and carrot sticks.
9pm. Send Tim to bed. Late night for him.. I carry on watching Anne..
10pm. Sam comes home and sits and watches the end with me "Are you crying?" he asks... of course not.
10:30pm. Crash into bed vowing to smile more and see the positive in all the EGR people in my life. Fall asleep.
12pm. Nurse Joseph.
4am. Nurse Joseph again. Snuggle him till dawn while snoozing cause he's delicious.
And there you have it!!
