Insane – What My Schedule Really Looks Like

schedule
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Insane. That is what my schedule really looks like. Oh, I have a schedule and I love my schedule. It keeps us functional. Unfortunately though, many days like today, the schedule goes out the window. Days like today, I have to be flexible and go with the flow. Taylor was supposed to be homeschooling today, while her dad and sister were in the Bible ministry. Then at five o’clock I was supposed to meet them for family Bible ministry. Taylor didn’t homeschool and we didn’t have family Bible ministry. Why? Because tomorrow at two am, we are driving 13 hours to the Texas border to renew our Mexico visas. I have spent today preparing for the trip, thus no schedule. I will tell you how today rolled for me though. Then you will know what my insane days look like. Days when there is no schedule and we just fly by the seat of our pants.

My Day Without a Schedule

  • Sometime in the middle of the night: Tristan, the baby, starts babbling. He is wide awake. After changing his diaper, I tell him to go back to sleep and shut his door. Tristan continues to talk to himself for about an hour and then finally he decides to go back to sleep. After he goes back to sleep, I go back to sleep
  • Six am: Sawyer climbs into bed with us. He squirms and wiggles till our alarm goes off at seven.
  • Seven am: I get up. I give the boys their sippy cups, turn on cartoons, make coffee, and wash the dishes. Alexis comes downstairs soon after and starts making French toast for breakfast. I finish the French toast so she can get ready to leave.
  • Eight-thirty am: We say good-bye to Brad and Alexis for the day. I call my parents in Kentucky to check on my 93-year-old grandma with a broken hip. We talk for twenty minutes about grandma, dementia, and nursing homes. I pour myself some coffee and sit down to play Hay Day for a few minutes.
  • Mid-morning to lunchtime: The laundry machine is working hard. Today I washed and line-dried four loads of laundry including towels, blankets, and a rug. Taylor is packing her clothes for our trip. I took out the trash because Tuesday and Friday are trash pick-up. A friend is here to pick up a stove we sold to him and his wife. After they load it up, I decide I need a shower and I head for the bath. Then Brad stops by to say hello. I get out our tent and sleeping bags so he can load them in the truck. Alexis packs her bag while she is here. After they leave again, I sit down at my laptop and work on the blog for a good hour. Taylor and Sawyer are playing at the park with our puppy, Rex. Tristan is taking his mid-day nap.
  • Lunch to mid-afternoon: Taylor comes home crying because Rex is missing. We walk back to the park and Rex walks around a corner. I show her how to properly tie Rex to the tree so they won’t lose him again. At the house I continue to work on the laundry and I sweep the garage. When Tristan wakes up I pack the boys clothes. Then I pack me and Brad’s clothes. Several diapers have been changed by now. Kids were fed peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches for lunch. Cartoons are back on so that Mommy can continue to work without distraction.
  • Mid-afternoon: Brad and Alexis come home for the day. Alexis and I clean out the pantry, where Tristan dumped out the dog’s food and water dishes, making a soupy mess. The kids, minus Tristan, are sent to the park, while I vacuum the kitchen. Brad and I wash the dishes together. I sit down to figure out our budget for the month because tomorrow is pay-day and we had a few extra bills with the move. I think I might have played Hay Day for a few more minutes, while Brad and Tristan watched a movie. Next I call Samsung about my newish tablet that is losing wi-fi connectivity. After this I jump in the truck and drive a half mile to the nearest ATM so we will have cash for our drive to Texas tomorrow.
  • Six pm: I walk to the park to get the kids. It’s time to come home and prepare for the trip. They all take a shower. Tristan screams the entire time. He doesn’t like being washed. Brad feeds the boys while I help the girls finish their packing and clean up their room. Taylor comes downstairs and vacuums the living room and the dining room. The girls sit down to eat supper and I finish packing our bathroom stuff. I plant a flower in the front yard because I don’t want it to dry out and die while I am gone. I fill up the dog’s food and water dishes for our trip.
  • Seven pm to bedtime: Tristan and Alexis have made a mess in the living room with chips. Alexis vacuums out the sofa and vacuums the floor, but the vacuum clogs. While I am fixing it, some friends drop by to ask a favor and in return we ask them to check on Rex while we are gone. I mop the tile on the front porch while we are outside chatting, and Taylor slips and falls on the wet floor. No worries, she is fine. Soon it’s time for bed. The TV goes off and Brad and the kids go upstairs. I finish up the laundry, put the dog outside, call Samsung again because I realized we had a problem with the first call, check on Hay Day one last time, check my email, and now here I am, blogging. It’s past ten.
[bctt tweet=”A real day in the life of a mom, when her #schedule goes out the window.”]

Did I miss anything in our insane day without a schedule? Probably a few details, yeah. Could we have done anything differently? Sure. The kids watch too much TV on days like today, and honestly, I need to give up Hay Day. It is mindless entertainment and I think that is why I enjoy it so much. We also forgot to pray with the kids. This is something we try to do every night but lately with all the craziness of moving, everything has gotten out of whack, including family prayer.

Having a schedule is actually super important for our family. When we don’t have a schedule, everyone, including the boys who are four and one, feel the negative effects and react badly. I do believe, after having four children, that a schedule is essential to having an organized and happy home. Especially if you have ADHD in your family, like us. A good schedule can be very beneficial for ADHD. I think it gives us something firm to hold on to through the whirlwind that we call our mind.

Does your family need a schedule? My family needs a new schedule. Stay tuned for a future post on the new Ernspiker family schedule. There is more to come, as soon as I figure out exactly what our schedule is in our new home ;-) Signing off, Tina

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Click above to see more posts from homeschooling parents and their real schedules.

 

14 thoughts on “Insane – What My Schedule Really Looks Like

  1. Becky says:

    The life of a mom is not easy and there is never a dull moment but we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else doing anything else. Congrats on surviving another day and finding some good things to be joyful about!

  2. Claire says:

    Raising kids AND serving in a need-greater area?? Awesome. Made me smile to remember how it was to have young children at home.

  3. Kristin says:

    That is a ton in one day! When I don’t follow a schedule I find nothing gets done that needs too then as I am winding down I say, “Wow I got nothing done today!” I find scheduled help keep my head above water and my daughter feel on track. You are one strong woman who wears many hats!

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