a day in the life

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I thought I'd take you along on a typical day of my life. It's not super exciting, so consider yourself warned, but maybe you'll understand how I tick. I don't have a specific day in mind, this is just a typical summer day in my life. 

First up, you all know I am an early riser. I love being up early! I always start my day by letting the dogs out while my coffee brews. I go out with them and make sure they're not digging holes and chasing chipmunks, because you know the four of them do that and they're teaching the fifth one to do the same. 🤣 I come inside and enjoy my first cup of coffee of the day while I read blog posts. This is my favorite part of my day! I love reading your blogs, so if I comment on yours even halfway regularly, you are included in this statement. I'm so glad blogging is still around, aren't you?! I feed my dogs around 7:15 everyday, then I make lunches for the guys in my life to take with them to work. They're easy and don't require much effort, but I enjoy doing this for them since I know it means they'll take the time to eat and take care of themselves. 

I settle in for my quiet time after this, or I'll do it when they all leave. Things get busy between 7:45-8:00, so the quiet is always welcome after everyone leaves. After my quiet time, I get started on my day. On days when I order my groceries, I'll start cleaning out the refrigerators and pantry, so that I can have some organization for when I put the groceries away. I do laundry in this time, I empty the dishwasher and clean out the sink again, I clean out the coffee pot and wash my copper mug, and I clean the counter tops. We have so many dogs that I have to clean really, really often. I don't mind it, believe it or not! I actually find it satisfying to settle in for morning chores. Also, if I exercise (notice I said if), it's during this time. I go upstairs with laundry, if there is any, and I make my bed, then I get dressed for the day. I like to take my time doing this, because I try to take the time to make our room really nice each day. I try to keep it dusted and vacuumed, and I like to keep our bathroom really clean. 

It's also during this time of day when I like to get out to do things. I schedule grocery pickup or shopping, I get together with Mom, or I'll meet up with a friend for lunch or run errands. This is one of the cute places I like to go to with Mom sometimes.

I love a cute coffee shop, don't you? Mom and I always go to one of a few places to eat together. We've done this place, we'll eat sushi together at our favorite Japanese restaurant, or we'll eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We also love to go to a cute little boutique here in town to see if we can find something new. Other than that, we like to run our errands together. During the Christmas season, we shop together, which is something I love to help her with. We manage to fill our time pretty easily on the days we spend together. I also do that with my mom-in-love and my dad every year. I really like doing mundane things with people I enjoy being with. We'll end our time after lunch, so that I can come back home to take care of the dogs. When I get back home, I finish any of the things I didn't get done that morning. This usually includes vacuuming, dusting, bathrooms, and laundry. There's always something to keep me busy, or to clean out or organize. If I finish with all of that and it's only two or three, I'll spend a couple of hours reading a book afterward. Right now I'm at home a lot because of Jonah's new puppy, so I cuddle with her while she sleeps and I read. 

Proof. She's all up in my personal space, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Puppy cuddles really are the very best. I usually start prepping for dinner at 3:30 or 4, depending on when I know everyone is getting home. We eat early, because Todd is always starving when he gets home, and I never mind.  The boys usually don't eat this early, though sometimes they surprise us and join us. Sometimes they eat what I make, sometimes they've made plans for dinner already. I've learned to ask this question before I cook a huge meal for them. As it is, if they eat what I cook, great. If not, I eat on the leftovers through the weekend. I love when they're all around at dinner, and I love the talk that happens around the table. We used to eat every meal at the table, five days a week. I miss those days, but I am glad for any amount of time I get with them. 

We're usually done with the kitchen clean and comfy for the night by six. Sometimes we do yard things, other times we immediately get comfy and watch our shows. I read sometimes while he watches something, or I'll watch with him, it all depends on my mood. I like to end our night with clean surfaces and candles lit. Do you do this? Sometimes Drew will stop by, like he did on Tuesday. It was close to 7:30 when he came here to grocery shop in our pantry, so I was up gathering things for him that I knew he would like. I also made him a huge container of tuna fish, because he loves mine. Mom, if you're reading this, yes I did add the mustard. 🤣

Once everything is nice and tidied up again, and even in between a show or reading, I'll get up and finish laundry, or take care of the dogs, or prep some things for the next day. I remember reading a blog or website as a young married wife, one called Fly Lady. Do any of you remember her? She always had great tips for keeping house, and one thing she always said that stood out to me was to start small and work your way up. Meaning, if you're overwhelmed by the amount of things you have to do, start by cleaning the kitchen sink. One thing always has a way of overflowing onto something else, and before you know it, things are no longer out of hand. I also clean a little bit each day, things like wiping down the bathroom counters, or cleaning the toilets at the end of each day. When I do things in small increments, I am able to be caught up. You see my dilemma when I was working full time and feeling like my house was overtaking me. The guys did great and picked up the slack while I worked, but it wasn't the same. I really enjoy doing the things I do each day, and really don't know why I ever thought I needed or wanted more than this. I guess you could say I've had some very large doses of perspective thrown my way. 

Some days are busier than this, some days are less. One day this week, I felt really bad, so I literally sat in my chair most of the day and read an entire book while listening to music. Sometimes if that happens, I don't read, but watch tv all day. My life looked vastly different when we homeschooled! You can see the shock I've had to my system after years and years of us all being together 24/7, and going to how things are today. I don't hate it, though, and I love the ages of all of the boys and having the privilege of seeing them turn into such great young men. They come and go all the time, and sometimes they share bits of their lives with me, but sometimes they don't. 

I never want to nag for any details they don't want to give me, and I will never make an imposition of myself into their lives. They all know I am here when they need or want me, and I'd move heaven and earth to help them out if the need ever arose. But I never nag and I never embarrass them or invite myself somewhere I'm not welcome. That means, that when Drew moved out, we didn't go over there a lot. We did visit occasionally, but it was on his terms and when he asked. When Todd wants to have guys night with them, I don't tag along. They're all really close to both of us, each in their own ways. I'm grateful that Todd is such a great dad to them, though, and that they feel that way about him. I include all of this, because when they want to talk, it's always around a later hour. For instance, we were watching a show last night, and Jonah talked with us for close to an hour. Graham and I had talked an hour before that, for thirty minutes in the kitchen while he ate his dinner. I can remember Drew coming into my room at eleven thirty one night when he was like 16, and asked if I was awake so that we could talk. (He was having girl issues.) Noah is always so sweet to talk with us for at least ten or fifteen minutes when he gets from work each day. I am grateful for all the moments God gives me, no matter the frequency or quantity. I will literally take anything I can get! 

And all of that, somehow, is a very typical, mundane day in the life of me. I started to pick an actual day for this, but I never follow through when I take pictures. I like breaking my day up into segments of time like this, though. It makes me feel more productive when I'm able to rest in between, like when I read between the afternoon and making dinner for the night. Do you do this kind of thing when you're home in the summer? I know so many of you work, so I know that's an entirely different situation. If you're still around, thanks for reading my blog! Love to all.