A Day In The Life...

Yesterday I picked up Liliana from school as I do every school day, when she turned to me and was VERY UPSET that "I MAKE HER GO TO SCHOOL". I know such a mean mom I am! I looked at her with the most serious face and said "I am sorry to tell you this but you have many more years of school to go!" She, of course did NOT like hearing that and asked why she has to go to school. I informed her that she needs to go to school to learn and that the things she learns in school she will need when she gets bigger and gets a job. She then informed me that she would NOT be getting a job. I looked at her again and replied that she could NOT live with us forever and in order to live on her own she would need a job to have money to pay for things she would want later in life. So she then says "I won't need a job". I despise these conversations, because she reminds me of how I used to be as a little girl, a KNOW IT ALL. But weren't we all know it alls back in the day??!!
So later that night she was getting ready for bed and had a nice little conversation with Marc. It was similar to the one she had with me afterschool. She told Marc she does NOT like going to school and so he replied the same way I did about needing a job and money to live on her own. She replied differently to what he told her though... She told him she wouldn't need a job because she would get a "daddy"! Marc didn't understand what she meant by a "daddy" so he told her she can't have 2 daddy's just one and that he is her daddy! She replied with the most serious face "No daddy I mean I am gonna get a daddy like mommy got you"! She then went on to say that she was gonna get a "daddy" and she would stay home like I do!
Marc came downstairs to tell me about this conversation and we both just stood in the kitchen laughing. I soon realized that not only Marc looks at my "staying home with the kids" as an easy job but so does Liliana (from all the things she told Marc). Don't get me wrong, Marc does respect that I do-do a lot around the house on a daily basis but in his eyes going to work is much harder than being home with the kids. I am not into arguing this matter since I believe both staying home and going out and being the sole bread winner are equal in difficulty just really different jobs overall.

So this reminded me of how tough some days are. I was also reminded that from the outside looking in that some think its "EASY BEING AN AT HOME MOM". So I wanted to document my "typical mom" day!

Currently I am a stay at home mom with a 7 1/2 yr old, 4 1/2 yr old, 3 yr old, and brand new baby. Heres what my daily routine looks like...

6AM- wake up, shower, get dressed and ready for the day

7AM- wake up any and all kids not already awake
Liliana and Dillon take showers
Ava gets a bath if she didn't receive one the night before
Garrison is bathed if needed as well
Make 4 beds, pick out 4 outfits for the kids to wear, collect all dirty clothes to stay on top of laundry, help those needing help to get dressed

8AM-be downstairs with all kids to eat breakfast, brush teeth, pack lunches, get shoes and jackets on

8:45AM-walk Liliana to school

8:55AM-back home, clean up from breakfast, and get Dillon ready for school

9:25AM-walk Dillon to school

9:30AM-12PM tend to Ava and Garrison and run any and all errands possible so that I only have 2 kids with me instead of 3 or 4

12PM-walk to pick up Dillon from preschool

12:15PM-make lunch and have kids 100% fed by 1PM

1PM-naptime for Ava (if I am lucky sometimes for me too)

1PM-3:45PM- dishes, laundry, dinner prep, cleaning, sewing, basically anything that needs to be done must get done during this time or else it won't get done until the next day, and don't forget while doing all this I must keep Dillon occupied since he doesn't nap much these days!

3:45PM- walk and get Liliana from school

4PM- Help with homework

Mondays and Wednesdays( I must help with homework while making dinner because we must eat and be cleaned up by 5:45pm the latest so Liliana can get to dance class and religion class)

4:30PM-5PM- Make dinner, I like to make sure we eat by 6PM the latest

6PM- Dinner and clean up

7PM- Baths/showers when not taking them in the AM, nighties on, brush hair, and eat dessert on nights they earn it

7:45PM- Upstairs brushing teeth and in bed waiting for kisses

8PM- Liliana, Dillon, and Ava are all in bed

8PM-10PM- BREATHE
Marc I try to enjoy some non-kid tv whether it be a movie or just night time cable. We then call it a night since we both get up so early these days.

10PM-6AM- Fun times feeding and changing Garrison.

Then do it all again the next day. Oh and keep in mind that while my day progresses I have to plan it around lots of diaper changes and frequent feedings.

Now I didn't type this to complain about how busy my life is these days because I wouldn't trade any of this for anything different but to show how much really does go on around here on a daily basis! But, also to show this to my children when they are all grown up and have children of their own...especially Liliana!!!!

I want to end this entry by saying that I truely am blessed and so very lucky that in this hard economy Marc and I have so far figured out a successful way for me to stay home so we can raise our children the way we want them to be raised. I really am a very lucky lady to have all that I have and don't take any of it for granted!