What a truly realistic schedule would look like

I mentioned before that I’m using this book to build a new family schedule.

 

home school life saver!

My first one was ridiculously over-zealous:

What a truly realistic schedule would look like

I’ve scratched some of that mess out and shortened it and replaced as much as possible with “Sit on the porch and watch Daniel ride his trike.”

However, a TRULY REALISTIC schedule would look more like this:

6:00 Begin hitting snooze button….

6:30 Get out of bed. Take quick walk.

6:45 Argue with Alan over which is quicker: Keurig or coffee pot, guzzle coffee, change poopy diaper, run upstairs to try to put make-up on my face.

8am Run out the door for my 8:00 appointment. Haha, nah, I’m not QUITE that bad, but I do typically allow myself 10 minutes for each 20 minute drive that I take.

9am: Arrive home, thank Alan for cleaning up the house and making coffee. Take boys for walk.

9:30: Drill the boys on information they’ll never use after college. Bwahahahaha But if they want to GO to college, this information is useful, I’m telling you!!

10:00 Play math ‘games’ with Caleb, hoping my use of the word ‘games’ will help him stop pretending to fall asleep.

10:30 Referee whoever is arguing. Okay, everyone, let’s go to the library. Off we go. Did everyone pee? Where are your shoes? I’ll go get JD some socks. No, you can’t bring chips. Here’s a book bag for everyone. Put your books in YOUR book bag. My back is struggling here.

What a truly realistic schedule would look like

11:45 Arrive home with 50 billion books to read, tired because I forgot to take my stroller to the library, and we are SO HUNGRY.  Shove tons of food down my throat because I’m starving, and I forgot to eat breakfast. Feed the children, clean up 100 tiny pieces of cereal that JD accidentally spilled in the floor….3 hours ago….but hey, at least I finally remembered to clean it up.

12:00 Put JD down for a nap. Wait for him to hug everyone 5 times first….

12:15 Sort of clean up lunch dishes.

12:30 Read to children. Do more teacher stuff: handwriting, geography, etc., etc.

1:30 Reading tutor arrives. Chat. Make us more coffee.

1:45 Do pre-school with Daniel, quietly, trying not to interrupt the excellent learning going on in the other room.

2:30 Remember that I never started the crock pot this morning. Also, I’m starving again. Sit on the porch and watch the kids ride bikes while I stuff my face.

3:00 Wonder how many times a week it’s okay to order pizza….Convince a kid to go wake up JD.

3:30 Update my blog.

4:30 Coral the children, get socks and shoes on everyone, and set out for Caleb’s soccer practice. Don’t forget your ball! Let’s take water! Let’s take snacks! Yes, I’m hungry again.

What a truly realistic schedule would look like

4:50 Set out on foot for Caleb’s practice. Drown in sweat because it’s actually 80 something degrees today. Stupid global warming.

5-6pm Try to keep my little boys happy on the tiniest playground ever.

6:00 Soccer parent meeting

6:30 Finally arrive home and face the fact that I did not cook supper….Feed everyone junk from the freezer.

7:00 Sit on the sofa and wonder why I don’t have more energy.

7:30 Alan and I rally ourselves to DO BEDTIME WITH FOUR KIDS.

4 baths. 4 sets of pajamas. 4 stories. We’re so crazy.

9:00 Go downstairs and stare at dishes in sink. Try to I Dream of Jeannie blink them away. It never works… Stumble through a few chores.

10:00 Head upstairs. To shower or not to shower, that is the question……

Don’t worry. Don’t worry. I just remembered the sweaty soccer practice. I PROMISE that I WILL shower.

Okay, most of that is just what REALLY DID happen today. But it’s only 4:30, so I still have to go do the sweating, the tiny playground, and the facing dinner failure part….

no questions at this time

Every parent needs this sign!!!

 

I’m happy, though. I know I don’t sound like it, but this is fun. I should also mention that I answer some sort of question, sometimes from a child, sometimes from a well-meaning adult, every 5 minutes. I need to make myself a “No questions at this time sign” and wear it around my neck.

Okay, Daniel is here, and I think he just confessed to putting a fruit snack wrapper in the toilet. And with that, I’d better go rally the troops for soccer practice in the scorching sun.

Roll Tide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13 comments

  • That sounds like a typical day here! The thing is, of course you’re happy–it’s a great life. But it’s kind of greater knowing that Most Of Us don’t have it together, isn’t it? We’re together in our un-together-ness. 🙂

    • YES! Yes,yes, yes. We are together in this! My friend Courtney once said, “You know, I used to say that one day we’re going to get our act together, and then I finally realized, no, this is it, THIS is our act.” 🙂

  • McMom

    Reading tutor? Brilliant. You are one busy lady!!! Down time is a MUST, for sure. Also, you need to take advantage of modern technology and use your coffee maker’s timer! Then the incredible aroma just lures you out of bed, and then one chore is already D.O.N.E!

    • 1. Yes, having someone with training help me with things I have been at a loss on is so HELPFUL! Kim is a God-send. 2. Down time: yes! I can’t possibly do without it. 3. Why hasn’t this occurred to me? I definitely need to figure out if our pot does that! Now if Mr. Never Lets Me Handle Breakfast or Coffee will let me do it…

  • I hope that fruit snack wrapper was fished out!? Oh dear.
    This is funny timing because I JUST sent Cassidy an email about a family planner for us. We’ve been disorganized for so long, and it’s time. I do everything on post-it notes and an app on my phone.
    Your day looks alarmingly like mine would be, without the homeschooling and having four boys, but it’s still nuts!

    • It IS nuts. Working from home is a nutty thing to try to do! 😉 But that’s okay. Sanity is dull, right? Alan’s favorite invention of all time is the Google calendar. I’m gradually getting better at using it with him.

  • Aww April, you so are incredibly AMAZING!!! And it is just not a one day event, it repeats itself over again the next day.

    Praying God will continue to give strength. And He has promised he will.

    The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

    Thank you for sharing, a bit of your day.

    God bless, 🙂

    ~Carl~

  • Love it! I can definitely relate to this real-life schedule!

    I tried using that book for scheduling last year, and totally overdid it, too. Only I didn’t catch myself in time, as you seem to have more common sense than me.

    We did everything perfectly FOR ONE DAY, and I was so proud of how I’d set everything up and made it all work. But then I was so exhausted going to bed that I never wanted to repeat that over-packed day again. And weve never again completed the perfect day!

    • So glad you can relate! I’ve decided the perfect day allows for several things to go undone, but never couch time. Couch time, or staring at the ceiling time, or some sort of down time simply MUST take place. Also, Alan is downstairs doing the kitchen clean-up tonight. I just made myself a list and promised myself to clean up in the morning….now we’ll see if I follow through…

  • Did the fruit snack wrapper flush away? I imagine it would. At least I hope it would. With 4 kids there is no time, but it’s all building strong little people that will someday become big and good people. At least that is my hope.

I love comments! Otherwise, it's really just me talkin' to myself...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.