trying to fit it all in

I don't know if you missed me yesterday or not. Apparently I'm having a hard time fitting blogging into our easy-going summer schedule.

About a month ago, a typical day for me would have started about 7 am when Addi woke me from a peaceful slumber. I would have gotten up, fixed her breakfast, unloaded the dishwasher, taken a shower, started a load of laundry, woke Libby up to feed her, gotten ready, gotten the girls ready, fixed a bottle for the baby I was watching, loaded all 3 girls into their car seats and headed to preschool. Addi and Libby would have spent the morning in their respective classes while I taught science, baby in tow.

We would have made it home by 12:30 to eat lunch. Then I would have put all 3 girls down for their naps, one at a time. After singing and reading and praying, I would finally have about 2 hours alone. That is when I would usually blog, email, read my bible, pay bills, dry the clothes, pick up the house, or, occasionally, sit on the couch and enjoy the silence.

About the time the girls started waking up was time for me to begin supper. Usually Bryan would make it home before the baby was picked up. When she left, we would sit down and eat together. Next came baths, kitchen clean-up, bedtimes, housekeeping, and time with Bryan. And for a while, I was throwing running in there also.

My weekends were filled with grocery shopping, errand running, projects, preschool planning, and catch-up.

I was tired. I felt overscheduled and frustrated.

The last day I taught at preschool was also the last day I babysat. Since then we've been to Texas and had Nana and Poppa visit us here.

And for the last week or so, we've done nothing.

Well, almost nothing. I am still awoken by Addi at 7 am to feed her breakfast. However, I've discovered that if I turn Disney Channel on after I pour her cereal, she will gladly spend the next hour on the couch (after she eats, of course! kids eating out of the kitchen/breakfast room is a big no-no at my house. a battle Libby tries to wage daily.) watching whatever Playhouse Disney has to offer. Most of the time , I crawl back under the covers and read a chapter or two from one of these. By then Addi has watched enough tv, so she colors while I eat breakfast and unload the dishwasher, if I am feeling exceptionally energetic. Otherwise I wait until around 10 when Libby wakes. While she's eating breakfast, I almost always empty the dishwasher. Some days I even start a load of laundry. But some days I don't, which is why I need to run 3 loads of laundry today.

We've been spending mid-morning until early-afternoon at the pool. Some days we have friends join us and some days we make friends with whichever of our neighbors happens to also be swimming. After sandwiches and fruit, we head home for naps...I love the pool!

Naptime is when I would normally blog, but this week I've been teaching VBS in the evenings. So, naptime has been when I prepared for the VBS lesson...and read more. Then I fix a quick supper heading out with Addi as soon as Bryan gets home to stay with Libby.

We don't make it home until about 9 pm and I still have to put Addi to bed and, you know, spend time with Bryan. I do enjoy listening to him complain while we watch So You Think You Can Dance, which might possibly be my favorite show.

Don't feel too sorry for him though. I've watched enough Deadliest Catch to last a lifetime. Is there a night that show isn't on?!

So, you see, I'm enjoying my non-scheduled days of summer immensely. I do need to get back to some sort of housekeeping schedule. It's fun to be lazy, but not for too long. Perhaps next week, I'll find a happy medium. Perhaps not...next week is already busier than this week with swimming lessons and playdates! Not to worry though, I have through August to get a summer time schedule working. Of course, then I'll have to switch it up again because preschool will be starting.

I'll end with pictures from the playdate we attended this morning.