I get up early in an attempt to be awake, hang a load of washing, do a workout, shower and dress before waking the Little Big Fella. Somehow we've gotten into a bad habit of me waking him up and him taking forever to do so. He's only in Grade 1!!!!
So I wake him up and we eat breakfast and finish getting ready, with me constantly pushing him (and myself) to be out the door 5 minutes later than I really want to leave.
Drive to the next town and drop the Little Big Fella off at before and after school care (it's a Family Day Care that does the school run, and I have to say I'm really happy with this way of doing things, given my work hours). Inevitably we have a little chat before I rush off to work.
Insert eight hours of constant demand and ever-piling tasks, phone calls, emails etc., with the occasional lull to allow me to complete a few things.
Rush out of work (often with someone asking me "just one thing" on the way out) and collect the Little Big Fella from care. Have a chat then squeeze in whatever errand we need to do for the day - collect the mail (we don't have a mail service in our little town), pick up whatever from the shops that we forgot or couldn't get on the weekend food shopping trip, get a haircut, collect this or that... you get the idea.
Drive home.
Argue with the Little Big Fella to take his school bag out of the car because my hands are full of everything else. Take everything upstairs and sort it all out.
Outside to bring in the washing, water the plants, let the chook out for a run and make sure she has enough food and clean water. Pull a couple of prickle weeds or otherwise tidy a plant or two in our little garden.
Take the folded washing upstairs and put it away. Do homework (OMG I hate homework!!!). Make dinner (although, when the Big Fella is home, he's normally taken care of this - I am definitely a lucky woman!!!), eat, clean up, shower the Little Big Fella and make sure he cleans his teeth, put him to bed and read a story.
Finish cleaning up the kitchen or crash on the couch for half an hour before tackling whatever other task has presented itself as necessary (tonight's task is blogging, but should actually be ironing). Don't forget to shut the chook back into her yard for the night.
Brush my teeth, shower (it's summer and rather warm here at the moment, so a second shower for the day makes sleep so much better) and crash into bed.
Somewhere in there I attempt to spend some kind of time with my husband, assuming he's home in the evening and awake, not working or sleeping ready to go to work when I go to bed.
Repeat 5 days a week.
Life is busy! There's lots to do and never enough time.
But, to be honest, most of the time I like it like this. I like being busy and I like feeling useful. I like the fact that most of the time I rise to the challenge, and even when I don't there's another chance to be better tomorrow. I like the sense of purpose, and routine.
And I like the days when the routine goes out the window and we spend a couple of hours with friends at the park, or my neighbour and I water our plants at the same time and end up chatting for ages while the kids run rampant together.
I don't mind when the dishes don't get done at night sometimes, especially if it's because we're spending time together as a family.
I know that when I was a full-time stay-at-home mum, I got down. I was bored. I felt purpose-less.
Throw a little (preferrably organised) chaos my way and I'm definitely happier :-)
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