Hi guys!
I found a draft of a post I had started over 10 years ago, then never finished. I thought it was interesting to see that life is still busy now, but in quite different ways. I don't know what time I got you to bed or what time I got myself to bed since I didn't finish the post. And to be fair, not every day now in 2025 is as busy as this Thursday was. Mondays and Tuesdays I don't drive carpool or teach piano, so I get more of a breather. When I get home from work I talk Dad's ear off, have a snack, maybe do some dishes, read a book, or just chill until the kids are home. Once the kids are home from school it's always busy with dinner and dishes and motivating you guys to do homework.
So here you go. A look at what a typical busy school day was like when you were all little, and now.
2013
6:20 tj is up. keep him in bed with me, almost asleep, til 7 when baby wakes up
7:00 get baby up and feed him, keep tj on couch. 7:20 baby and tj fall asleep on couch
7:30 lulu starts coughing. lay baby in my room
7:45 lulu gets up, watches tv while i check email
8:00 get lulu dressed, make her lunch, do her hair, get her breakfast, help her tie her shoes, write her spelling words, and get her jacket zipped. (she and Sawyer played babies at recess and it was funny cuz her jacket was his blanket)
8:25 Lulu gets out the door to wait for the bus, tj is awake
8:45 hammer is awake. breakfast for boys
9:00 baby is awake. feed him
9:15 take pictures, read news
9:45 get boys dressed, get dressed myself, clean up living room
10:00 visiting teachers
10:30 feed baby, short feeding
11:00 vt leave, boys play outside, blog
11:15 make lunch: german pancakes
11:30 feed baby
12:00 eat
12:20 hammer comes in, tj is outside.
12:30 tj is wet from hose. strip off clothes, leave clothes outside because tj takes diaper off, it's poopy.
carefully wipe tj, get him dressed. big thank you hug to get warm.
1:00 start dinner, porcupine meatballs in crockpot. thaw the meat and mix according to recipe. boys play kindle fire.
1:15 mid dinner prep, notice pluto is chewing tj's shirt outside, discipline dog, throw the shirt away and bring the other clothes inside
1:30 more dishes. boys play downstairs
1:45 lulu's home, feed baby
2:30 go to library and park
3:30 home again. otter pop snack. play outside
3:45 feed baby, put him to bed. read to tj
4:10 read with lulu
4:30 piano with lulu
4:45 dishes with daddy
5:10 tummy time and smiles for baby
5:45 dinner
6:15 walk with pluto
6:30 play outside
7:00 bath time
2025
6:35 wake up
6:45 quietly get hammer up so tj can keep sleeping
7:00 motivate lulu and hammer to brush teeth and help lulu pack her lunch. they have instant breakfast for breakfast
7:07 the alarm on my phone goes off to make sure lulu and hammer get out the door for High School. lulu drives
7:10 eat breakfast
7:20 tj gets up on his own and comes upstairs. help tj find breakfast, make lunch, and comb his hair.
7:44 tj leaves for carpool
7:50 adz gets up. help him make lunch, and comb his hair.
8:15 drive to elementary school. it's parents and pastries day.
8:40 leave the school to drive to my work.
9-1:30 work at elementary school as lunch lady
1:40 try to get pluto outside to potty. he won't move, so i leave.
1:50 get gas in the van
2:10 take van in for a pre-trip check
2:55 drive over to the jr high to wait for tj (the only one in carpool this thursday) to come out
3:06 tj is in the van, let's pick up lulu who was waiting at the high school for me
3:10 pick up lulu and drive home. snack is nutella on toast. pluto finally goes out to potty
3:35 pick up hammer from track and field at the high school
3:50 aunt laura is at our house when we get home, returning our nail gun before she goes to have a baby
4:00 adz gets off the bus and piano lessons start
4:30 dad is home. he drives down to work on thursdays
6:00 piano lessons are done. dad and i go to costco
7:15 home with rotisserie chicken and artisan bread for dinner
7:45 motivate kids to do dish chores. help kids practice piano for the mini recital the next day. help hammer start some homework
8:30 i shower. adz is reading all night because his reading calendar is due tomorrow
8:45 more showers, teeth brushing, little boys wash their feet since they aren't showering
9:30 prayers. adz and tj go to bed. i read anne of green gables to lulu then she goes to bed
10:00 hammer is done with math and goes to bed. dad showers. i listen to my audio book in bed
10:30 bed time, but i think i fell asleep at 10:15
Some of my favorite things about having older kids is -you shower yourselves - it is so much faster to go anywhere because there are no diapers to change right when it's time to go and everyone gets themselves in the car -you fold your own clothes - emotions can still be high but there are no tantrums -i can send a teen driver to pick up the younger boys at friend's or to do an errand - you like to watch good tv now, not lame disney jr - way less fighting in the van on road trips (there can still be fighting in the blue car if you're sitting closely and touching) -i love watching you accomplish goals and do hard things.
It's like they say- the days are long but the years are short. You guys are growing up so quickly. I love being your Mom, even when the days are busy. It's the most fulfilling calling.
Love,
Mom
