August 30 was the first day of school for Catherine and Stephen. I was really looking forward to this day for a lot of reasons. The biggest was the change in seasons. I love when the seasons change.
Lots of people ask me how I do it. Do what? Handle 4 kids? First, I never really thought four kids was all that much. Four in three years? Well that is a bit much. But honestly, it's not that hard. In the beginning it wasn't a picnic, but it didn't take me long to figure out how to make things work.
The key to my success? Routine.
It's all about setting a routine and sticking to it. No matter what. Who doesn't love a predictable pattern? Babies (at least all four of mine) do so much better when they have a routine. And, as my kids get bigger the same still holds true. Routines make life easier.
The summer routine was fairly relaxed, and most definitely flexible. After a while the routine does get a bit boring which is why I love it when things change.
And they have changed big. It's school time and the routine is far more scheduled and less flexible.
Allow me to give you insight to my current routine.
Monday through Friday Paul's alarm goes off at 5:30, he's usually kissing me goodbye by 6:10
My alarm goes off at 6:10. I wake Catherine up at 6:15 and then get in the shower (Stephen wakes up on his own while I'm in the shower).
6:40ish I am dressed and downstairs. I get Catherine and Stephen in their seats for breakfast.
While they eat I pack lunches.
7:20 we go outside to wait for the bus.
On Monday, Wednesday and Friday after the bus leaves it's time for Joshua and David to get ready for pre-school (David is usually up and Joshua is usually still in bed).
After they are dressed we all have breakfast.
8:30 my phone alarms to tell me it's time to get ready to leave.
9:00 I am leaving the boys at the front door of the school
On Mondays I will volunteer at the school. Wed and Fri I will go to the gym and run any errands that need to get done.
11:30 is pre-school pick-up time. After that on Mondays and Fridays we will go home and get things done around the house.
Wednesdays its rush home have lunch and head back out for Joshua's speech therapy at 1:00.
3:10ish Catherine and Stephen come off the bus. They come in and must go get into play-clothes right away.
Catherine must be at the desk by 4:00 for homework (Stephen is free to play unless he gets any work to do).
Tuesdays and Thursdays are cross country nights. Practice starts at 6pm. Our normal dinner time is as close to 5 as possible. These nights we try for 4:30. I take Catherine and Stephen to cross country. Paul stays home with David and Joshua. They clean-up dishes and toys and are in bed around 7pm. I get home no later than 7:30. We do showers and bed.
Every night after dinner is clean-up time. The kids must clean-up the playroom and the backyard before bed. We do our best to get the kids in bed by 7. 7:30 is the latest.
Our kids don't nap. They haven't in a long time. The trade-off is the early bedtime. It looks chaotic, but it really does work, and most days life runs smoothly. I love this time of year because we are so busy. I love getting things done day after day. I love watching Catherine and Stephen come off the bus full of excitement (sometimes not), ready to tell me stories. Catherine loves to share her homework with me. Both of them love to tell me the things they are learning and doing at school. The best part is that it never happens all at once. Their stories come out throughout the afternoon and evening home. Stephen is likely to come home today and tell me about something he did last week. You just never know what you're going to get.
Having just David and Joshua home is becoming a fun experience. They too go to school (only for a short time), and their stories are just as fun. For them, it's a brand new and exciting experience. It's the first time in their lives that they are away from me (other than sleepovers at grandparents).
This time of year is great. And I promise that come May I will be counting down the days for this season to end and the summer vacation to begin. I love the change. I love the growth. I love the business. But eventually this schedule will become my enemy, it will be taxing. I will be tired of the running and be ready to rest carefree in the breeze of summer vacation.
No comments:
Post a Comment