Settling into a Schedule

Since school has started, it's been so hard to blog. I have been so exhausted at the end of the day. I could use a nap every day when I come home from school, but most of the time, that's not an option. We are settling into a routine and trying to follow a schedule. The hardest part for the kids has been coming inside to take baths when it's still light outside and all the neighbor kids are still outside playing. I start baths about 8:00, followed by a snack, bedtime stories and prayers and hopefully ready for bed by 9:00.

Rhett is getting to bed between 9:00-9:15 and I'm waking him up about 7:00 in the morning. He's still so sleepy in the mornings. His body hasn't adjusted quite yet. Tony helps get Rhett dressed and fixes his hair/brushes his teeth. I don't know what I would do without Tony! He's such a great dad!

Micah stays up a little later and usually isn't down for the night until about 10:00. However, she has been waking up about 6:30 while I am still getting ready for school. She isn't taking her afternoon nap until I pick them up from my mom's (she's falling asleep on the drive home). She's sleeping about 2 hours which means I don't get to spend as much time with her as I would like. I am still trying to get her to understand that if she takes an early afternoon nap, that means there's more "mommy time" in the evenings.

Blair is going to sleep around 9:15-10:00 and sleeping in her "bed" (the car seat) until about 3:30. I put her car seat on the floor next to my bed. I usually hear her squirm and I put her in bed with me to feed her. After she eats (if I wake up) I put her in her "snuggle nest" (co-sleeper) She usually nurses once or twice between this time and the time my alarm goes off (at 5:45). I usually wake her up to nurse and get a diaper change at 7:00 while Tony is getting Rhett ready.

We are loading the van and ready to leave the house by 7:15. In the afternoons, my goal has been to leave school by 3:30-3:45. It's so hard because there's always so much more to do, but this gives me more time for things around the house and more "fun time" with the kids. At school, we have had so many early dismissals due to the extreme heat, that I've been able to plan ahead almost 2 weeks of lesson plans. (Although it's early dismissal for students, teachers are required to stay the full work day.) Tony's been great about letting me choose 1 day to stay late at school to get things done, while he picks up the kids.

This about sums up my life as a "working mother of 3!" My organizational/time management side comes out in full force once I go back to work! Although I feel I am pretty good at it, I also like my laid back/stress-free summers! On the flip side, I'm much more concerned with how clean the house is and making sure the floors have been swept, toys put away, laundry complete, etc. in the summer. During the school year, it's impossible to keep up with it all, so I tend to let things slide and rely on my housekeeper.

So that pretty much sums up the first few weeks of school!!