Thursday, July 13, 2023

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. 

14 comments:

  1. This is my favorite kind of post! I love little glimpses into other people's lives and always have :) Yes, I remember the Fly Lady! I had her book and got her emails for the longest time.

    Your day is so much like mine! I am a morning person and like to get most things done in the morning, including errands, and then I use the afternoon to read or watch something or work on a project. Then I start supper prep about 4:00. Honestly, I think I'll write about this one day too.

    As far as boys coming to talk late at night...my Collin always did this :) And I've always been a morning person who goes to bed fairly early (by 10:30 at least). I remember those late nights when Collin would want to talk and my eyes would be closing. I would try my hardest to stay awake :)

    I thank God every day for the privilege of being at home. I am so grateful.

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  2. The late night talking is what I struggle with the most. I am just so tired that I am not at my best. I have been staying up until 10:30 for this reason, though!
    My mornings are much like yours - I try to prep for dinner a bit in the am and then I really try to only do errands and relax after about noon. Then, I start dinner around 4:30-5. I am most productive in the am, so this works.
    Of course, my schedule totally changes again in August, but on the other hand, I still have the same basic routine of morning and evening and the day stuff changes.

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  3. Debbie, it was her emails that I would read! That's it. I couldn't remember exactly how I would read what she would write. I go to bed so early, but they know they can come in and talk at all times and I would wake up very easily. They've done that before- they would come in and whisper, "Mom? You awake?" They could see that my phone would be on with a show playing on it, even though I'd be dead asleep. 🤣 I always wake up, though!

    Mornings are definitely my most productive time of day! I feel the same- privileged to be able to stay at home. I cannot believe I thought or wanted more than this, but I'm glad I at least tried it for almost one year. I'm so glad to just be a wife and dog mom again.

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  4. Amy, it's so hard staying up later! I know exactly how you feel. It's always been where I struggle as well. I don't know if I've always been the most productive in the mornings, but that is definitely the case now. If I sit still long enough while watching something on tv, I will even fall asleep for a few minutes! I don't always do that, but I definitely do sometimes. I can take a ten minute nap and feel refreshed, though, if I didn't sleep well the night before. It's nice that even with work, you still get a variation of this. I know your schedule changes a bit this year, but I know you can still make it feel like it's not that different.

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  5. I like how you have routines though not necessarily set times for things. I am somewhat similar but it's odd working very unpredictable part time hours during the school year and then having breaks like summer completely off. My day to day life changed the most once Alyssa could drive. That freed up so much time for me and I struggle (and still do!) to make the most of my free time. It is always interesting to read other people's routines and habits!

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  6. Maria, yes! I used to try to go by times and was slowly making myself go crazy. I'm much happier this way- and I am structured and someone who loves routine. I know it has to be hard switching from summer to working, and from a day off from work to working part time on some days. You've definitely learned to be flexible! I learned that last semester with my job- I'm grateful it taught me some valuable lessons. Having kids that started driving was life changing, in some good ways and some bad ways! Mostly it was good, though. I love reading about other's daily routines as well, so thanks for your feedback!

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  7. Yes, I remember the Fly Lady. She was a great motivator for getting dressed and tidying the house, especially when the kids were little. Our daily schedule is so similar. I'm also a morning person, and like to get a lot done before lunch time. I tend to read blogs etc in the afternoon. And I totally know what you mean about the late night talks. That seems to be when my kids open up most, and I'm fighting to stay awake. :D

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  8. I do remember Fly Lady! I think our days sound pretty similar (though my guys are off to work closer to 6 so my quiet time starts much earlier). Though I have been struggling with having that motivation to keep up with my daily cleaning. I miss having all those helping hands now that everyone is always so busy and it all falls to me.

    I know I haven't been reading/ commenting on your blog as consistently this summer with all my summer travels but did I miss the topics for July's share 4 somethings? I know it's still a few weeks away but I just wanted to make sure I hadn't already missed it.

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  9. Sounds like a lovely, low key summer day! I can see how you are enjoying being "back at home" and knowing that you are not returning to work when school resumes. Home is your happy place!:)

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  10. Joanne, I know what you mean about not having all the helping hands anymore! I miss that too. I always made it part of our homeschool day, because half the time they would finish way too fast. 🤣

    The Share 4 Somethings prompts are loved, learned, read, and ate. Those stay the same each month, maybe you're thinking of Currently? I'll share those here tomorrow. I can't remember what they are right now off the top of my head, and I just copied and pasted them on tomorrow's blog post.

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  11. Tanya, yes! I loved her so much. She had such great practical advice! I know what you mean, that was always me late at night. I could fake it really well, though!

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  12. Jennifer, YES! It totally is my happy place. Like I said, I don't know what I was thinking! 🤣

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  13. Like so many of the others, I remember Fly Lady too! On days I work, I usually don't read blogs until late at night or sometimes the next day. I may borrow this day in the life for a blog post soon!

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  14. Love your peaceful approach to your days and that puppy is so adorable :)

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