Red Shoes

After yesterday and some of todays crazies, it was good to reading a post like this one. I have really enjoyed the writing and topics on Segullah's blog lately. Many wonderful encitful women post and eloquently write of their experiences and make me realize that my struggles are similar to theirs, I am not alone.

A view of my day

This a typical of view I see most of the day.



I have thought about for some time that I really need to document my days running around with 4 kids in 4 different schools. I am sure there will be a time when I will appreciate all the chaos and running around my life involves now, but at this time I feel like I never get anything done. So this is what today was like:

6:53 am alarm goes off, hit snooze
7:00 am make sure Karin is up, and hit the snooze button at least 2 more times, I am really struggling with getting up
7:20 am finally get up, make sure Karin is ready and has emptied the dishwasher, say a prayer with the kids that are awake.
7:30 am Karin goes out for the bus
7:40 am get in the shower. I am really supposed to do this before Karin gets on the bus. I was really good about this at the beginning of the year, but I have been slacking off. Get dressed. Get Ava dressed after tears, have Mia change her clothes because she put on her own concoction. Put on makeup. Kirsten is very independent and is dressed, eaten and most likely practiced the piano, while helping her sisters get ready for the morning (sometimes this is helpful sometimes it aggravates things). Do Kirsten, Mia and Ava's hair. Load up with backpacks, coats and Ava's field trip permission slip and money. We remembered her show-n-tell that we forgot yesterday.
8:20 am take Ava to Holy Cross for Kindergarten, quiz Kirsten on her spelling words while driving. I really need to leave closer to 8:15 to avoid being a couple minutes late.
8:40 am arrive home and fold some laundry, get Kirsten on the bus, finish blow drying my hair, start some laundry. Give Mia her medicine (she showed up with Scarletina Saturday night, no other indications, just the rash) Mia and I have a little while before we need to get to Library Storytime. So I checked mail and google reader for the blogs I follow. Then we put together gift bags for her preschool birthday celebration tomorrow from the collection of toys that I buy on clearance. We wrapped a birthday present for Spencer, Mia's best buddy whose birthday is tomorrow. Collected library books and sorted the things from North Canton, from the items from Stark County Library.
10:15 am leave for Storytime with all the North Canton Library books (I have occasionally turned books into the wrong library.)
11:15 am leave the library and pick up Ava and go home, eat lunch and more laundry, change in to workout clothes for walk to Y.
12:15 pm Leave for 2 mile (I think) walk to the Y (got to get some exercise in somewhere, and the weather is actually nice today), arrive at Y and change Mia into swimsuit.
1:00 pm sit in bleachers by pool waiting for Mia's swimming lesson, we are actually 5 minutes early, get Mia in lessons and go upstairs to watch, help Ava with homework, play Mastermind and play in block room.
1:50 pm get Mia from lessons change back into clothes and get Ava & Mia in jogger and walk home.
2:35 pm arrive home, change back into regular clothes, get kids snack, gather up books for other library and get into the van to go pick up Karin, pick up Karin return home, Karin changes into black clothes for Strings Dance Troupe, put her hair in bun and take her to Oakwood (the other Jr. High) for practice.
3:25 pm go to Stark County Library to return books and pick up book Kris has on hold, return home and start thawing meat for dinner. I am currently obsessed with Italian Wedding Soup and I wanted to make some. I am not sure the younger kids will eat it because there is spinach or escarole in it.
4:15 pm Kirsten gets home with a reminder that there a fundraiser at Chick-Fil-A for school, at least I am saved from making dinner and I can keep typing this post.
4:50 pm gather everyone up to go pick up Karin, pick up Karin and head to Chick-Fil-A for dinner, Kirsten gets to see her gym teacher that left to teach at another school and we made her day (she came home sobbing the day they announced he would be leaving to teach at Oakwood, apparently all the kids were sobbing on the bus ride home). Mr. Herbruck is pretty creative and the kids were always playing some fun games. Kris met us there and then had to leave for an audit at church.
6:00 pm eat, return something at JoAnns and go home, make some calls about Enrichment and Mid-Week activities.
6:50 pm take Karin & Kirsten to church for activities and talk to a couple people and return home.
7:45 pm start making brownies for Mia's preschool birthday celebration and Karin's Orchestra concert, start kids getting ready for bed.
8:45 pm prayers, brush teeth and get kids in bed, put marshmallows on brownies (we are making some good rich brownies)
10:15 pm make tags for Mia's treat bags, finish brownies and finish this post, I will probably go to bed in an hour or so...

Not all days are this hairy and Karin' s orchestra concert is tomorrow so I will eliminate the need to take her between her school and the other Jr High 3 times a week. I am really looking forward to Spring Break, but even that is not all bliss because Ava's Spring Break is different from the other kids. I am looking forward to some time to sit down and read and less running around. I am sure I will miss these days when my kids have left home.