Melissa recently asked me to talk about my days and how it gets done. So, I thought I'd tell you. ;)
1. On Sundays I get my planner and look at my week and my projects. I ask myself things like: 'are there any upcoming baby showers I need to prepare for?' or 'how old are those cookies? do we need a fresh batch?' etc...
2. Then I fill in my planner. I have figured out things I can do while Andrew is on the loose and those things I do in the morning. The things I need to do with no Andrew in sight, I do during his quiet time. Isaac really isn't an issue yet as far as that goes. His time awake is spent playing with his little toys. He really isn't able to get into too much trouble yet...but I think those days are numbered. So, anyway, by Sunday evening I generally know what my week will look like and what I'll get done.
3. This is an average day:
7-7:30: wake up and feed Isaac
7:30-8: make tea, make the beds, dress one or both of the boys depending on Dave's morning.
8:00-8:15: shower and dress
8:15-8:45: make and eat and feed people breakfast
8:45-9:00: Isaac is ready for his nap.
9:00-9:45: Mommy School!
10-11:30: morning project (today it was making bagels and washing diapers. Yesterday it was researching Christmas gifts and plan an upcoming sewing project). While I do my morning thing, Isaac is usually asleep for most of it and Andrew is playing or helping me.
11:30-12:30: go outside. Usually for a walk to run errands. Sometimes to the park. I have been trying to get out before lunch, but don't always get to it.
12:30-1:30 make and eat and feed people lunch.
1:30-2:00 Isaac is ready for his next nap. And Andrew goes down for Quiet Time.
2:00-3:30/4:00: Afternoon project. This is when I do what I cannot do when Andrew is up. Like scrapbooking and card making. My paper tools are way too appealing for him...
4:00-5:30: this is my worst and least favorite time of day. I am usually tired and wonder what to do and there is usually a mountain of clean laundry on my bed that I need to go fold, but I really don't want to. Sometimes we go to the park or on another walk at this time. Sometimes Andrew and I watch a movie. Or jump on the beds. Or play Chutes and Ladders. Or dance. And sometimes I do actually get the laundry folded.
5:30-6:30: make and eat and feed people dinner. Dave usually gets home between 6 and 6:30 so we normally wait for him, but sometimes, we can't. Then after dinner is the bath/jammies/brush teeth/storytime bonanza. Dave and I divide and conquer. One does the dishes, one does the baths. Sometimes no one gets baths, but they both love their baths so much that usually they do.
7:15: The boys are asleep, the dishes are probably washed, the laundry is probably folded and put away. And usually the floor is swept too. I spend the evenings chatting with Dave, or reading blogs, or watching movies (or the Daily Show or Cobert Report).
I don't like how little time we spend outside. I don't like how planning ahead makes it so I feel less flexible about last minute changes, but I really think I am hard-wired that way. I do like that I get a lot done. I don't like feeling lousy about days when I can't get done what I had planned. I wished I was easier on myself in that regard.
and that is that.
20 comments:
Well, now you've made me curious: do you and Dave clean house on one particular day of the week or do you Divide and Conquer on a daily basis? What have you found works for you guys?
I've never liked the Colbert Report as much as the Daily Show but I think that's due in part to my celebrity crush on Jon Stewart. ;)
No. I clean the house. That's one of my "can do while Andrew is awake" projects...so one morning a week I do the cleaning. We end up dividing our chores really traditionally. So, once a week I do a pretty thorough cleaning (dusting and mopping and such) and then we do little daily maintenance stuff (like sweeping) together.
You may not know this, but you have inspired me to stay home more. That's a good thing, I think. In some ways, I like how we get out (we were doing a social event, a library program, or a playdate type thing most days of the week) and connect with other families. And I want to keep those connections. But our weekends and my life when Chris is around is so crazy that I think I might be happier if we stay home more. Atticus LOVES to stay home. So do I.
My sister is a very energetic social person. She gets out w/ the kids a lot. They are always doing something or having people over. And she has had a good influence on me in that way. Because of her, I prioritized getting out and making connections w/ other moms and kids (for my kids). But, when I think of homeschooling, I get overwhelmed, thinking I need to keep up with the kind of life they have! So I was kind of comforted when I met the homeschooling mom who is going to watch my kids when I go back to work. HEr kids do some classes and things, but they also do a lot at home.
I think of you as an old school traditional housewife. I hope you don't take that the wrong way, because I don't mean it in a negative way at all. It comforts me, and I take inspiration from it. I can't keep up with the modern idea of mother as much as some people seem to be able to. So, when I read about your life, it makes me want to find more balance between at home and out of home.
The other day, I sat down to sew. For the first time ever (since I had kids, at least). And I couldn't wait to tell you about it. The minute I sat down, Enzo woke up. And that was that. I haven't picked up the sewing since.
I liked hearing about your schedule.
What was that mop you recommended? We need a new mop.
yesssss! Long comment from Melissa. I love it!
I am totally an old school traditional housewife...though I like the term homemaker better than housewife. It's taken some reconciling on my part to accept that that is my title. Because, like you said, it's practically offensive to call someone a traditional housewife. But, the truth is, I love it. And dang it, I'm pretty good at it. So, I swallow my pride and just do what I do. ;)
I use a Libman. I love it. It's worth shopping around to find one. If I had to go to 7 different Targets to find a Libman mop I would. I'm that hard core. It has a detachable head that goes right in the washing machine so you mop with a clean mop every time. I have 3 detachable heads so that each room gets the loving attention of a clean mop.
Melissa, you inspired me to find more nature. Today Andrew and I kicked around some leaves. They were on the sidewalk in front of someone's house, but still. Pretty good. I love kicking leaves.
I wish Jacob would do longer nights like Andrew does. It's great that you have this schedule. The kids really need it! Can you tell me more about the diapers you use?
I use cloth diapers. Just prefolds and covers really. I have some fuzzi buns, which are fancy pocket diapers, but they have been leaking lately, so, mostly prefolds. Do you use cloth diapers, Cat?
SO relieved you took my comments the right way, homemaker.
I just looked up the "libman". is yours the wonder mop or the gator mop?
Where the heck is your mop post? I can't find it anywhere!
What do you want to get your PhD in? There are 5 colleges here...UMass has a lot of good programs...education? They'll pay you to go...
Great layout, great quilt. I love the lion on the top corner. =)
mop post:
http://3peasinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2008/08/mop-love.html
It's a wonder mop, yo.
I want to get a PhD in Education. Something like Lit Development in the Little Guys. Or Language Development...I would love to do research. I guess I would have to! ;)
Thanks Tara!
Do you wash your mop heads separately from everything else? I've been thinking of getting one of these mops, but I think it would be hard to get a load together that I would want washed with my mop head. And it costs me enough for each load that I wonder if it would be worth it.
Loba, how do you wash your kitchen cloths or cleaning rags? I would think they'd be subject to the same line of washing restrictions.
When I have to wash something that I think is a bit icky, I toss it into the corner of the shower and let it get a passive rinse cycle while I shower. Then I put it in the washing machine. I would think that would work very well for mopheads.
I have something to add to your list for today 'Log onto www.shimelle.com and enrol for Journal Your Christmas' I would LOVE to see what your pages would be like (although know that in doing so, mine would deteriorate in front of my very eyes!)
I, too, was a stay at home old fashioned mum and I loved it. And now my kids are 22 and 18 I look back and we have so many happy memories together and I didn't miss a thing they did in growing up. Yes I know it's an old fashioned concept nowadays, but trust me, you will never get these years back and your lives will be all the richer for sharing these simple day to day things.
Yeah. I wash my mop heads with my other cleaning rags on cleaning day. It is enough for a small load. Some people have a little laundry bin in their kitchen to collect their cleaning rags through out the week. If I did that, and added the mop heads I would definitely have enough for a full load.
I guess my mother is right. It is all about sorting.
Deb! You are soooo nice! I am going to do the December Daily that Ali Edwards talks about instead. Shimelle's Christmas project seems so overwhelming. I like how some people chip away at it a little bit each year instead of trying to do ALL of the pages. I might be able to swing that.
Do you know about Ali's project? You can find info about it on her blog: http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2008/10/creating-a-dece.html
I made one last year and it is by far Andrew's favorite scrapbook.
Could I have one of those mops for my Christmas present? Great response to this blog!
For Jacob, I used disposable diapers but for baby #2, I would like to use washables but I have no idea what to choose... It seems so complicated and there are so many choices...
I too like homemaker better than housewife!
I hear ya, Cat. There are sooo many choices. We use "polar babies" hemp prefolds and "bummis" covers. I think I am going to get a few "BumGenius" for Isaac to use at night. They keep his skin dry and don't leak. I use this website for my diaper buying:
http://www.diaperware.com/
Good luck!
Whoa, 18 posts! Is that a 'Made In Brooklyn' record? It's probably way too late, but I'm shooting for 20 here...
So interesting how we define ourselves and what we do. I'm always quick to distinguish between being a staying-at-home mom and a housewife. And I too prefer homemaker over housewife, but even still those terms don't work for me, even though I probably do a good chunk of the kind of work you do at home. It's all about being able to choose for yourself, isn't it?
I'm sad to say that I have never played a game of Chutes and Ladders. Not sure I've even seen what it looks like. Should we make it our next playdate idea?
I meant to write "comments" instead of "posts." There - 20 comments!
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