If You Have Some Extra Energy, Just Read This To Use It!

Nothing like a bright, sunny and crisp Monday morning to make a mom take on the "schedule" head on. Since we ditched A LOT of school between mid-December and mid-January for the holidays, and a 2 week Grandparents visit, today was the first "real" day from start to finish. It started with Jacob, the 2 1/2 year old climbing into my bed where he laid sucking on his finger to wake me up :-). That followed with hugs and kisses for the other 4 kids as they took turns waking up. I have always taken time to sit on the couch and snuggle kids since Sarah was born and thanks to homeschooling, I haven't had to give it up . . . most days.

Here is what followed:
7:30--Molasses pancakes for all, butter 'em, cut 'em, do it again for second round, clean baby faces
8:00--Kids start their chores, I change diapers and dress 2 kids, do hair and teeth for 3 and pull some clothes onto myself. Ooops, was I supposed to shower today? Move clothes to dryer. Lecture kids on how to properly do piano practice.
8:45--Assemble kids in living room for Bible study and prayer. Pray the baby will be quiet.
9:07--Throw on sweatshirts, load 2 babies in stroller, put on 1 bike helmet, start walk
9:35--Get the kids out of the park and on the way back home
9:40--Get Jacob into roomtime, baby down for nap, start doing Lizzy's reading lesson and read to her. Older kids do their seatwork
10:30--Set Lizzy up with workbooks, play Thomas trains and read books with Jacob
11:00--Send Lizzy and Jacob outside, set up math lesson, start teaching Math to oldest 2
11:45--Finish math and start boiling hot dogs for lunch. Make a call, remind self to think Godly thoughts about a trial. Feed kids, wipe counters.
Noon--Put Jacob to bed for nap and for fussing about hot dogs, Get Leah up and give her lunch.
1:00--Read pre-K stories while oldest 3 play on rug. Tuck Lizzy in for nap, change dirty diaper, read aloud book to Sarah and Dan.
1:30--Read aloud ancient history to Sarah and Dan. Give spelling pre-tests, correct workbooks, listen to Daniel read aloud.
2:28--School is done for the day!!!! and 2 minutes to spare!!! Rotate laundry, start folding 3 loads and separate into 10 piles(7 people, towels to diff. baths and kitchen cloths) Keep Leah out of the catfood and hurdle some rubbermaids in the garage to keep her from falling backwards onto her head out of the stroller
3:30--Start looking for certain pics for Leah's 1 year scrapbook, consider dinner plans, put Leah down for afternoon nap, check email
4:00--hug Lizzy and Jacob as they wake from naps, make hot cocoa, talk to Dad on Skype with kids while prepping dinner, take a call, put towels and adult clothes away
5:00--Dinner in oven, make salad, order children to start picking up, send kids to their drawers with their clean laundry piles, have kids do dinner chores
5:30--Sit down to earlier dinner, wonder when Marc will return home, cut up 4 kids chicken, get Leah up from nap
6:00--make phone call, change clothes, insist kids clean up, request Marc to PLEASE bathe kids since it is bath night, leave as kids are washing dishes
6:3o--arrive at Eye Dr's for his last appt. which is running 20 minutes behind, meet Sis-in-law in parking lot for exchange of things, get new contacts from Dr.
7:00--drive to Starbucks, order my new special: non-fat Peppermint Mocha, get 2 coffees and yummy bread for friend, drive to hospital
7:15-1:45--Visit friend in hospital with new baby, laugh for 25 of the 30 minutes because Jon and April are hilarious(Welcome sweet little baby Miles), deposit check in bank
8:00--come home, kiss kids in bed, visit with kids still up, clean up rest of kitchen, brief husband on day and hospital visit
8:30--tuck Sarah and Dan into bed, sit down to watch "House" which has been kindly "paused" by Marc, upload photos to computer, start to finish THIS. . .

So, in case anyone wondered how my days go, wonder no more!!