what my life looks like and other things that matter to me

this self-portrait is several years old and comes out of a time of depression...

Recently, I've been frustrated by the feeling that I can't do something for more than ten (twenty minutes maximum) in a row without being interrupted if not by outside force by outside needs. It occurred to me that there is a reason for this. This is what my life looks like.

7:00 Wake up with the girls. Make sure Stinkerbell goes potty (Stinkerbell is not potty trained and doesn't seem to think that toilets are a wonderful invention). Because she is not potty trained I try to make her sit on the toilet about every hour and a half to two hours.

- During this time I try to get the girls changed and myself somewhat coherent.

8:00 Take the dog out. We have a geriatric greyhound (nearly thirteen years) who has problems with incontinence so I must take her out about every two hours.

- Wake up hubby. Hubby sets his alarm clock to start ringing at six and lets the snooze go until I get him up. Hubby is addicted to television and usually doesn't get to bed until 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. during the week and later on the weekend.

- Make hubby's breakfast and put his lunch in his cooler (he packs it the night before).

- Feed the girls breakfast.

9:00 Start the car so it warms up.

- Hubby leaves for work sometime before 9:30.

- Get at least one of the girls to take their bath.

- Prepare supper (if I don't get supper going in the morning, I can't cope with my day).

- Do whatever cleaning I can fit in and listen to DramaQueen read.

10:30 Feed the girls a light lunch.

11:15 Take DQ to school.

- Do whatever errands I need to do.

- Come home. Pack a snack for the girls for when I pick up DQ.

- Do a ten-minute stint at paperwork (bills, filing etc) I've discovered if I don't do this a little bit everyday a disaster occurs because I put it off longer than I should.

- Clean. Set the table for supper.

1:45 - Go to school to pick up DQ

2:30 - The girls should be changed for naps and ready to read by this time. Read stories to the girls.

3:00 - The girls go to bed for naps.

- This is my time to blog, write, craft.

5:30 Take the dog out, wake up the girls, do last minute supper things.

- Give the other child a bath if both of them didn't get baths in the morning.

6:00-7:00 Be ready for a phone call from hubby saying he is coming home so the very last minute stuff can be completed.

7:00 Eat supper.
-Last straightening up of the house for they day.
-Get the girls ready for bed.

8:00 Memory work, Bible, storybooks, prayers.

- Girls are in bed by 8:45

9:00 Take a shower.

- read, craft, watch television with hubby.

In between all this are all the routine things that have to get done. And all the other little demands that never fit on a schedule but have to be squeezed in.

It is not that I have a super busy schedule with all sorts of appointments like some people do. It is that I have a routine because it is helpful to me and the girls. The problem is that my life is so interrupted I feel like I never get to complete a thought because I have so many things that need be done by a certain time or accidents or frustration occur.

However, all this seems to prohibit a clean house.

I know I am fortunate that the girls take naps. I am very glad DQ can go to school in the afternoon as it works much better for hubby's routine.

Re: Hubby's routine. I've learned after over fifteen years - this doesn't change and trying to change it leads to withdrawal and anger on one side and extreme frustration on the other so it works better for me to accept it and try to work around it.

Good News and Fun News

My Mom is coming up on the 24 and staying for a whole week. I can't wait.