Summer: Day 4

Today is Thursday, day four of our summer. It rained the first 2 1/2 days. Here is what I made today.

I love my children. I truly do. They are very busy people and I still love them. Earlier in the week I came up with a schedule for each day. I did it for several reasons. 1) so I don't sit on my computer all day because I can see just how much needs to get done and 2) because I need to see there is an end to every day 3) so Angela doesn't sit on the TV all day like she tried to do last summer and 4) so Dean can see that I get lots of stuff done each day even when there is no school.

The schedule looks like this:

1. 8:00    Breakfast/get dressed

2. 9:00    Make beds/pick up living room/load of laundry

3. 9:30    all TV’s OFF

4. 9:45   Calendar

5. 10:00   recess OUTSIDE/free time (rain)

6. 11:00    Activity with mom/dad

7. 12:00    lunch

8. 12:30   recess OUTSIDE

9. 1:30    quiet time (reading books, listening to music, resting)

10. 2:30    recess OUTSIDE

11. 3:30   writing time

12. 4:00   FREE TIME

Yep! Day four and there are already problems with the schedule. The first thing is item #1 which is supposed to happen at 8:00 a.m.  They kids may be up then, but I am not! Oh don't worry, they're not alone, because Dean has been up a couple of hours at that point but he's not following the schedule. No, I have not been up before 8:30 because Dean has been generous enough to let me sleep in every morning. Plus, I've had this horrible ear infection and am blissfully sleeping in the bedroom because I can't hear a dang thing and am oblivious to the noises coming from the rest of the house.

I am singing praises to God for ear infections.

Item #2 at 9:00 is now item #1, and the only way to catch up is to skip all or part of #2.  I am skipping the laundry part. This became a problem on today, day four, when I realized the little boys had no clean underwear.

#3 is really and truly happening and nobody is even arguing with me about it. Of course, it's only happened on the days there has been no rain which has only been 1 1/2 days. Today was one of them. Still. Nobody complained.

#4. We have done this three days. It has been really helpful, actually! I have included the events of the day which this week have included two doctors appointments, two afternoons of therapy. The two "fun" things I planned this week haven't happened so far because of the rain. I have hopes for tomorrow, but I don't tell my kids WHAT we're doing, only that we're doing "something" so that I can change a really fun thing out for something lame should the need arise. However, today I added a new rule that Dean must participate on calendar time because yesterday he was caught off guard. "I thought the doctor appointment was next week on Weds." he said. "There is one on Weds. There is one today too. And Tuesday. And the following Monday."

#5 is mostly happening, though not until about 10:30. So far there have been no broken limbs or stitches, but again, this is only day 4. I predict Asher will be the first to see the inside of the ER for an injury related visit. I predict Abel will be the cause of the visit.

#6 Pretty sure I was high when I put that in there.

#7. Lunch. Its hard to screw up lunch, but somehow I manage.

#8. Recess outside. It's happening. Everyone is happy. Thank you Jesus. My three adopted kids are still borderline Vit D deficient (so is most of the rest of the population of Minnesota) so they MUST get outside. I had envisioned that they would play outside while I sat on my lounge chair with a book and enjoyed their antics. See my notes for #6.

#9. Although on Mon, Weds and Fri this is not happening until around 2:30, you can be darned sure it is happening. If it didn't all my hair would have already fallen out on day four of summer.

#10. "Recess" outside. For some reason if you say, "Go OUTSIDE already!" they protest, but if you call it "recess" they can hardly wait to get out that door! Recess it is.

#11. We did this. Once. It was on Tuesday. Dean came up and gave me a hug in the middle of it so I remember.

#12. Free time. This is so I can pretend to make dinner.

So that's what our day looks like. Now, let me tell you about things in general. You may notice the schedule does not allow time for me to take a shower. Yeah, on Tues and Thurs the boys have therapy at 2:00. On Tuesday this week we were on our way to the van when I realized I was still in my pajamas and hadn't even brushed my hair yet, much less taken a shower.

Our days have disappeared with lightning speed. It doesn't help that we've had a lot of appointments, plus track and softball three nights a week.  I think we only have one week of doctor appointments left. Next week brings the state Special Olympics Summer Games, Angela leaves for camp, two doctor appointments, and 21 meals to be served to the kids.