Last week I thought I’d keep track of our
day. You know, a typical Monday. Then I didn’t post it because it wasn’t “typical.”
However, this week Monday was also “non-typical.” Which brought to mind that although
we have a regular routine in our house, most days hold some aspect of surprise.
An unexpected visitor, a sick neighbor, cranky kids, or weather changes that
affect laundry and flight schedules. So, here is a peek at a typical Monday!
6:05am Don’t exactly know when the alarm
went off. Joey had shut it off and was already up. This is when I rolled out of
bed. Cooked up a pot of oatmeal and packed Joey’s lunch.
6:35am Girls started calling “Daddy!” right
about now. This starts the flurry of dressing, saying good-bye to Joey,
changing Levi, and getting everyone started on breakfast. While the kids eat I
began pulling the house together. We usually try and take Sunday off of almost
all chores so there is laundry to be picked up, dishes to put away, water
bottles to be filled, toys to be put away, laundry to be folded, etc. Joey called
before he took off to let me know he had another flight added to his day so he
would be back 2 hours later than expected. We all stopped breakfast to wave as
Joey’s plane took off.
8:15am Levi is done eating and down
playing. Hannah is getting hair and teeth brushed. Dorothy is still finishing
breakfast as I gather our stuff for grocery shopping.
8:40am Running late. Levi needs a change
and I end up putting him down for an early nap due to excessive grumpiness. The
girls and I pull on our boots and dash up to the market to buy fresh produce
for the week.
9:00am I finish helping with hair and teeth
when we get back and start a load of laundry. The girls decide to play doggy
and kitty in their room. I wash up all the veggies.
9:30am Ahhhh. I sit down and have a bowl of
oatmeal and check the news online, writing a couple emails as well.
10:00am Sweep the house, finish picking-up,
and hang laundry. Dorothy and Hannah come with me outside. They stay to color
with chalk and play ball while I enjoy watching from the kitchen while I cut up
veggies for dinner tonight. I also put the rest of the washed veggies away in
the fridge.
10:45am Levi wakes up. I change him and process
(rinse by hand and add to the long term soak bucket) all the diapers from yesterday.
11:10am I help Levi get his shoes on to
join his sisters outside. I organize the dishes in preparation for washing them
later.
11:45am As I start making sandwiches for
lunch, Joey calls. There is a medical evacuation flight at the end of the day
and he won’t make it back home tonight. Can I pack him an overnight bag? Right
then, one of the other wives arrives to run the bag out to our other plane that
will be meeting up with Joey later in the day. The kids are all coming in at
this direct moment as well!
12:30pm The house is calm again. Joey’s bag
is on its way, kids are eating avocado sandwiches and bananas, and we are reading
another chapter of Little House on the Prairie.
1:15pm I help the girls pick out books and
settle down for their rest hour, clean up lunch dishes, make my own sandwich,
change Levi and put him down for a nap. I read while I eat then head outside to
take down the dry laundry off the line.
2:15pm I draft an email and work on a blog
post while the girls color and cut next to me. Levi is still fighting sleep.
3:00pm I go ahead and get Levi up even
though he never did fall asleep. The girls eat their popsicles while I explain
their project for the afternoon which included markers and stickers. They are
thrilled! I wash the dishes.
4:00pm Start pizza dough.
5:00pm We are in the home stretch. I’m
missing Joey, but we clean up toys, get the pizza in the oven and start watching Princess
Diaries 2.
5:30pm The lack of sleep is killing Levi
and I am feeding him random things as we wait for the pizza to finish cooking.
5:45pm Pizza is ready!
6:00pm Get Levi into bed and he crashes.
6:30pm Girls get changed into their
nightgowns and talk with Joey on the phone, then pile on the couch for family
devotions.
7:00pm Both girls ask to sleep with me
since Joey is gone. Not going to happen. We settle for falling asleep in mom
and dad’s room. I tuck them in and clean up dinner stuff.
7:10pm No big surprise, but the girls could
not keep quiet and so got moved back into their own beds. I decide to work on
emails.
7:30pm Friend calls and she comes over for tea.
We talk for 2 hours.
9:53pm Quick email check…nothing from Joey.
Sometimes he has great internet and phone connectivity from Uganda and
sometimes it all doesn’t work. :)
12:30am So, I sleep poorly when Joey is
away. I ended up putting it off and watching a movie. Will probably regret it
in the morning, but…
2:00am Lights out.
