Why I am behind on blogging...

Photo by the lovely Michelle Boyd :)  More pics from this Christmas session to come! 

I want to document a typical day in our house.  I LOVE this season of life, even though the days are always busy.  Looking at today in detail really takes away some guilt about not getting "everything" done.  I've figured out how to take care of three kids (minus the 9 hours a week that Elise is at pre-k), get food shopped for, prepared, and on the table, clean dishes and laundry and keep things relatively clean, but that's about it.  In addition to those things, my goal for the day is to spend some quality time with Mike, with each child, with myself (usually in the form of a workout DVD), and with God (sometimes just happens while feeding Claire).  I'm so thankful for a husband who works hard all day and helps at home as soon as he walks in the door.

So, since September, our schedule of activities has been about the same (aside from spending a lot more time outside in the fall!).  Mondays we are free (did swim lessons for a while but not currently) and we sometimes get together with a friend.  Elise is in school on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 9-12.  We go to bible study from 9:15 - 11:15 on Wednesdays, small group on Wednesday evenings, and church at 9:30 on Sundays.  I prefer to stay home in the afternoons, but usually at least once a week we invite a friend to come to our house.  On Saturdays we like to do a family outing, or at least a "divide and conquer" outing.  For the last two months it's been near or below freezing almost all the time, so we can't always take the whole family.  Maybe next year Claire will be up for some snow plow pile climbing.

Without further ado, I present a typical day in the Powell house...  

Thursday, February 27, 2014
7:15 am - Wake up, shower, and talk to Mike since all kids are still asleep (normally Claire and Jack are up around this time).
7:40 - 8:00 am - Feed Claire and put her on activity mat for play time.
8:00 am - Get Jack out of bed (dry pull up!), to potty, and get him dressed while Elise (always last to wake up) wakes up and dresses herself.
8:10 am - Get breakfast on table (cereal and pumpkin bread).  Say bye to Daddy.
8:20 am - Claire poops.  Change diaper.
8:35 am - Brush everyone's teeth and get shoes, coats, hats, and gloves on.
8:45 am - Load everyone in the car to take Elise to preschool.  Claire falls asleep for nap #1 in car seat.
9:00 am - Drop Elise off at school.  Head to Barnes and Noble.
9:10 am - 9:30 am - Play with trains/read books.
9:35 am - 10:05 am - Get groceries at Trader Joe's (next door to Barnes and Noble).
10:10 - Get home and unload groceries.
10:20 - Claire wakes up.
10:30 - 10:50 - Feed Claire while Jack plays fire trucks in play room.
10:50 - 11:20 - Play jigsaw puzzles with Jack, help him with potty, change Claire's diaper and do tummy time.
11:25 - Bundle up again and load car.
11:30 - Go to Staples and drop off workbooks to be spiral bound.  Walk around the store so that Jack can find all the red things.
11:50 - Drive to preschool.
12:00 - Pick up Elise.  Claire falls asleep for nap #2 in car seat.
12:15 - Arrive home.  Kids play while Mommy makes lunch (PB&J, strawberries, and cucumbers).
12:45 - Claire wakes up (early!).  Feed her while kids eat lunch and play.
1:00 - Elise hits Jack while Mommy is feeding Claire.  Jack cries.  Elise to time out and chore in her room (sorting laundry).  Jack needs help wiping and washing hands.  Claire is taking too long to eat.
1:25 - Read books to Jack, go potty again, and put in bed.
1:40 - Jack asleep.  Elise plays with Claire while Mommy eats a quick lunch.  Elise wants more food (pecans and cheese).
1:50 - Workbook time with Elise while Claire gets to sit or stand and watch.
2:10 - Put Claire down in crib for nap #3.  Elise still doing workbook.  Mommy typing this blog post.
2:45 - Read to Elise.
3:00 - Elise down for 45 minutes of rest time in her room.  Mommy starts a quick workout.
3:10 - Claire up and sucking thumb in her crib (2nd short nap?!).
3:20 - It becomes apparent that Claire is not interested in going back to sleep.
3:20 - 3:40 - Feed Claire and put her in Elise's room to play.
3:40 - Wake up Jack.
3:45 - Snack (applesauce and pretzels).
4:15 - Assist Jack with potty.
4:15 - 4:45 - Everyone in playroom.  Elise asks 1000 questions about volcanoes.  Resort to google and YouTube.  Play trucks with Jack and play with Claire on the floor.
4:45 - Put Claire in crib for short nap.
4:45 - 5:15 - Make dinner.  E & J play puzzles while Mommy goes back and forth from kitchen to playroom.
5:25 - Daddy home!  Everyone plays hide and seek.
5:30 - 6:00 - Daddy plays with big kids in the basement.
5:40 - 6:00 - Claire wakes up and eats again.  Read Mark 11 on iPhone for bible study.
6:05 - Eat dinner (spaghetti, asparagus, sweet potatoes).
6:30 - Mommy gives Claire a bath.
6:45 - Daddy gives Elise a bath while Jack, Mommy, and Claire clean the playroom.
7:00 - Daddy gives Jack a bath while Mommy feeds Claire and Elise cleans her room.
7:15 - Daddy reads the new kid encyclopedia (no joke, it's their favorite book right now) to E & J while Mommy is still feeding Claire.
7:30 - All kids in bed.  Daddy does dishes while Mommy cleans.
8:00 - Claire awake and in need of new diaper and pajamas.
8:10 - 8:30 - Feed Claire again (tail end of growth spurt) and put her in bed.
8:30 - 9:00 - Clean/sort through a few more things.  Consider starting a load of laundry but decide to wait until tomorrow.
9:00 - 10:00 - Reply to a few emails, eat a scoop of mint chocolate chip, and finish typing this so I can go to bed.  I'm hoping to be awake enough to join Mike for a P90X date at 6 am.  We'll see :)

It's almost the weekend!  Maybe I'll make some time to get the seven draft posts finished... or just have fun with the family :)