Daily Routine

I had a question earlier this month about how I keep it all together, my routine.  Some mamas are struggling with one or two or three and don't have any with special needs!  Inquiring minds want to know, I guess.

The answer is....I don't do it alone!  My greatest blessing in this life is my husband.  I am able to keep it all together, because he is my partner in life and parenting and just as instrumental in making our days run smoothly as I am.  I may be the more visible each day, but he is my greatest help.  My Superman:)

Ideally my days would have a routine...and they have a basic outline, but they are far from the same.  So here goes.

*Morning alarm goes off at 5:45am - though I'll admit, I always hit snooze:)
*One of us heads upstairs to stir the girls and the other gets going on lunches.  It is usually just the 4 girls and Woody, but depending on the day, Emelia and I might get lunch or at least a snack packed.
*By 7, I'm herding them towards the door, so that we actually drive away about 7:10.  Woody usually does the morning drop off.  From 7am-9am, I try to get a little sewing done for the shop.
*The three older girls go our church school in Dallas, so there is a carpool set up and they ride with other families in the morning (I in turn bring other kids home each day).  Drop off is 7:20.

*Aubrey and Dad then stroll the aisle of the local Walmart.  Mostly because it is near school and has a bathroom, cause we can't make it from home to school without a potty break.
*Aubrey gets dropped of at 8, and then Woody and Em are off to the gym together.
*9:30ish, Em gets dropped off and Woody is off to work.  I'm checking email and doing laundry and watching Sesame Street. Or heading to an appointment.
*11-1 I'm hoping Emelia takes a good nap, so I can sew and hopefully make or start dinner.  (if I don't have a menu plan for the week, it gets ugly-so I try to make out a menu on Sunday)
*1pm We're grabbing lunch and packing up orders to head to the postal center.
*2:10 we pick up Aubrey from school and quickly chat with her teacher.
*I have an hour of time here before we pick up the afternoon crew, so we run errands or head to the playground.
*3:15pm we get the big kids, the car is now full of SEVEN kids.  I assure you that only mine are hungry and crabby:)
*4:00 we are home.  Homework, piano, dinner, etc.
*5:30-6:00 we are hoping that daddy is home for dinner and baths
*6:00-6:30pm the littles are in bed, the bigs are finishing up there work
*8:00-9:00 the bigs are going to bed
*9:00 we catch up on the day, get ready for tomorrow and catch up on work

This would be ideal!  But it isn't most days:(
*Mondays after school, Ella has piano and Kate and Alice have choir.  It makes for a larger gap of time between pickups, which is ideal for a quick doctor appointment if necessary.  We get home about 5.

*The 3 big girls have skating lessons Monday nights, so we eat quickly (crock pot meal, leftovers, or salad) and are out the door at 5:45 again and home at 7......which means that at 7 we are then getting a snack and THEN starting homework and bedtime.

{Are you tired yet....cause it's only Tuesday:)}

 *Tuesdays we get home at 4, but then head out the door at 5:30 for Signing Class.  I try really hard to squeeze in as much homework before our quick dinner again. Class is 6-7:30.  This is Aubrey's language, so we all go. Which means that after we get home at 8, we have a snack and bedtime/homework continue.
*Wednesday.....more ideal.....for now:)
*Thursday, Ella has choir after school and Alice and Kate have piano, so we are home at 4:45.  Another ideal day to squeeze in an appointment for Miss Aubrey.
*I LOVE FRIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*The weekends are spent catching up, and trying to get ahead on the stuff that's gonna happen next week.

It's a crazy busy life.  But it's ours.  I get asked all the time, "How do you do it?"  Not sure if they say it because they are in awe of my super awesome mom skills and they want the secrets, or if they think I'm crazy!

Here's my secrets!

I pray a lot, and I take it one day at a time:)

It takes me back to those first days, as a first time mom.  You just weren't sure how you were going to do it.  How do you survive the sleeplessness?  How do you take care of someone who cries all the time and poops on you and throws up on you?

LOVE.  You do it because you love them.  You are personally maxed out at whatever place you are in life.  When I had one kid, I was maxed out at one.  When I had two, I was maxed out at two.  And so on.....

I'm surely maxed out most days.  And most days aren't ideal.  But we all get through it.  Appointments change my days and nap times.  Sometimes the paperwork is a day or so late or I have to run it up to the school, but all the important stuff gets done.

They are all alive and fed and loved.....and the other stuff, will get done tomorrow!