She inspired me to share our typical day at home. Mainly because I want to look back and remember what I did hour to hour when my littles were 3 years 5 months and 17 months. Toddlerhood goes by so fast and sometimes I feel like if I blink I will miss it all. So, here I go, a day on Pioneer Trail.
The early bird gets the worm, or at least gets hot coffee. Kevin is up around 5:30 every morning and sits on the couch to read and drink his luxurious hot coffee. I love mornings, but not that much and set my alarm for 6:20. I roll out of bed and head straight downstairs to do a Pop Sugar workout. I don't have much time, so I usually pick a 10 minute video. I know 10 minutes of moving isn't going to get great results, but it helps me maintain my sugar intake. I eat lots of sugar. I then shower quick and head to the couch to do my devotional for the day. I just finished studying John and am now reading Proverbs. Some mornings I make a cup of coffee and sip while I study. It's my little reward for getting up and doing the things before my littles rise for the day.
Around 7:10 I make smoothies while Kevin gets Luke up. They cuddle on the couch while I run our super old blender and wake up anyone within a five mile radius, which, I guess, isn't many people. Luke slowly rises and makes his way over to the counter to have banana applesauce muffins and a smoothie. Once I have breakfast all ready, I get Miss Lily out of her crib. She likes her breakfast first thing, so after a few cuddles, I take her straight to her chair and she gulps down her smoothie and shoves pieces of muffin into her mouth.
While both kids are eating, I tidy up the kitchen, drink a smoothie and chat with Kevin before he leaves for work. After breakfast, it is clean up and then play time for the kiddos. They both usually are drawn towards the living room and find a pile of books to read. Sometimes they will go to the playroom and play in the kitchen while I finish dishes. We play for most of the morning, making our way downstairs for at least an hour to change things up. Since the weather has been nicer, before lunch we try and make a trip outside as soon as it's warm enough. We live about 30 minutes from the 'city', so our trips off the farm are a bit limited. We have MOPS a couple times a month and try to do at least one playdate/trip to town a week.
If we are staying home, I usually do a Tot school activity with Luke while Lily plays. Around 11:00, the kids seem to be absolutely starving, so I start lunch. This is going to be so cliche, but we usually have macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or leftovers. Berries: raspberries, blackberries, strawberries are always on the menu. Luke isn't the biggest eater, so he finishes early while Lily lingers at the table.
When lunch is over, we can't get outside fast enough. Shoes, coats, and hats are thrown on and we're off. Luke usually likes to start on the swingset and then go for an 'adventure' around the farm. Sometimes that entails a walk through the field, sometimes by the bees (my mother-in-law is a beekeeper), or sometimes we head to the shop to sit on the tractors and big red truck. Time outside passes quickly and when we come in there is a little time to play before nap time.
Around 1:15, I have Luke choose two books and we read on the couch together. Then he walks his little self to bed and crawls in while I turn the white noise machine on, tuck the blankets around him, give him a kiss, and repeat the lines from the book we used to read all the time 'I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my Luke you'll be'. Lily has usually made a mess of some sort when I come back out, so we clean that up and then I read two books to her on the couch. I carry her into her room, turn on the white noise machine and we read a few pages out of her Bible. She cuddles with me, her doll, and shirt and then I put her down to sleep. Praise the Lord, these two sleep until about 4:30-5:00.
What do I do with those glorious hours of free time you ask? I do all the things. I tidy up the house, catch up on the blog, maybe read a little, and now that it's getting nice, work in the garden. It's such a sacred time and allows me to recharge before the nighttime hustle.
Around 4:30, I get Luke up and read a novel with him on the couch as he wakes up. He would sleep until 5:00 or longer if I let him, but we have found that it's harder for him to go to sleep at night if he sleeps past 4:30. We just finished 'Winnie-the-Pooh' and are starting 'The House at Pooh Corner', both by A.A. Milne. This is a special time for Luke and I because he is so still and quiet and cuddly. I savor this time with him. After our cuddle session, I hop up and get dinner started if I didn't do a crock pot meal. Usually it's something I can throw together in less than 15 minutes...pasta dish, burgers and salad, something on the grill, crescent roll anything (Luke's favorite).
If Lily hasn't started talking by 5:00, I go in and wake her. We snuggle in her chair for a few minutes and then she is ready to see what Luke is up to. We head out into the living room and I finish up dinner while we wait for Kevin to get home. Luke usually greets Kevin at the door and they do their sweet Daddy/Son thing while Lily and I work in the kitchen. Lately, Lily has wanted to join in on the action and hangs with Luke and Kevin for awhile.
If something needs to bake in the oven, we head outside for a walk and play on the swingset. Then, we come back in and eat. Dinner is somewhat of a spectacle, as this is the meal of the day that Luke has the hardest time. After dinner, we usually have about 20-30 minutes of playtime before baths and bed. Many times we will head downstairs to play or will otherwise hang out in the playroom. At 7:00-7:15 bath time begins. Luke and Lily take a bath together right now and it is so sweet to watch them play together and this makes the bedtime routine so much easier. Kevin gets Luke ready for bed after bath while I take care of Lily. We all regroup on the couch and read a few books before Lily says goodnight. I read a few Bible stories to her in her room, pray with her, and then she is down for the night. Luke stays up a bit longer and has some special time with Kevin and I. Before bed Luke chooses two books and I read them to him on the couch. This is when Luke puts the 'stall' in Forristall. He stalls as much as possible, but we trudge on and after our two books, we say our 'I love you's' and Kevin takes Luke into bed. He is currently reading Luke 'The Chronicles of Narnia' by C.S. Lewis (with Luke always
saying 'The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis') and Luke loves this time with his Daddy.
Around 8:15-8:30 both kids are down and it is time to relax! Kevin usually finds me reading on the couch and we do our five minute date and then settle in for the night either watching a show or reading. Kevin is usually ready for bed around 9:30-10:00 and I am right behind him.
That's it! A Day on Pioneer Trail. I never want to forget these days and the sweet moments that fill them up. These are good days, my friends, good days.
No comments:
Post a Comment