A Day in the Life

When Darcy's recent blog hop featured a Day-in-the-Life, we were on vacation... I had all but forgotten what these days were like.

School days.

Alarm quietly sounds at 5:25. Feet finally make it to the floor at 5:50. Avoiding all the known creaks in the floors, I make it to the kitchen without waking my lightest sleeper, Peter. Whew.

Fresh cup of coffee. Tabletalk and Bible reading for the day. Journaling. Prayer.

Peter creeps down the stairs at 6:30. Sits quietly in my lap while I pray, then starts asking for food.

6:45. Sit Peter in the dimly lit kitchen with a slice of banana bread. I sneak out the back door for my morning run... in the rain.

Home again to find all three being fed breakfast by my husband. Bagels and scrambled eggs.

Shower, dress, oversee morning chores, kiss hubby goodbye, send a few quick emails, start a load of laundry.

Standing in the kitchen, I eat a slice of banana bread baked yesterday and pour another cup of coffee (now, not so fresh) while I listen to Hannah practice piano.

8:30. Sit down on the couch with the kids, my Bible, and Leading Little Ones to God. We learn a new verse, read, sing, pray.

Hannah moves to her desk and starts on her independent work. Will and I work on Calendar/Weather, Math, and Handwriting, while Peter colors a page for his Alphabet Book then starts on his new puzzles.

Peter and Will start doing more puzzles together. Hannah and I move to the dining room table for Math, First Language Lessons, and Spelling.

The phone rings. Hannah runs down to the basement where the boys are currently playing. Thankfully, we were finished. I switch the laundry. Whatever they are doing ends in screaming. Discipline break.

Hannah's on the piano again.

11:00. Hot Chocolate is requested for snack. Perfect for the dreary day.

Hannah and Peter go outside. Will and I sit at the school table for his reading lesson and Explode the Code.

Hannah puts on her soccer uniform that was just delivered. All three start riding their bikes in the backyard. I join them - encouraging Will as he wobbles around with no training wheels. The rain-soaked yard is being destroyed.

Everyone is back inside. We cuddle on the couch with our Science and History books. Peter moves to the floor mid-read and starts playing with matchbox cars.

12:30. Peter and I make lunch. Apple slices, pita chips, cheddar slices and berry smoothies. Hannah and Will kick the ball around in the backyard.

We sit to eat lunch. Listen to a little Haydn (our current composer study). All three want to have a music quiz, which means I pull out The Story of the Orchestra CD and we guess the composers and instruments. This leads to Hannah ballet dancing - still in her soccer uniform - around the kitchen. She's joined my Peter - who makes me laugh so hard I cry. Will labors over his "not-my-favorite" apple slices.

I clean up lunch/school. Kids are deep in imaginary play on the stairs.

I check my email and quickly read a few of my favorite blogs. Amy calls while I am down in the basement doing more laundry.

2:00. Hannah heads to her room with her Math worksheet, a History project assignment, and some reading. Will climbs up on my bed with a 2 big boxes, Legos and Playmobil, and a pile of picture books. Peter grabs two books and curls up in his bed for his nap. Hopefully, this will last until about 3:30.

I come downstairs, write a little of this, fold all that laundry, tidy the house for friends coming soon.

3:30. Will comes downstairs eager for his buddy to arrive. I run upstairs and find Hannah starting a sewing project in her room and tell her to clean it all up.

Our friends from church arrive. I sit and chat with my friend while the kids move from basement to backyard to bedroom. A half-asleep Peter shuffles by me, clearly woken by the activity in the house.

Close to 5:00, We say goodbye to our guests and settle on the front sidewalk. Bikes, scooters, races, walkie-talkies, and neighborhood friends come out to play.

5:30. I come inside to start dinner and the boys ask if they can watch a little more of the Eyewitness Volcano dvd we started last night (Netflix for Science!). Hannah stays outside exploring with a friend.

My husband arrives home. We call Hannah inside. Showers and dinner preparation continues.

Peter sets the table, carefully picking for each of us each a different color cloth napkin. 6:30. We all sit down to dinner together (spicy black beans, veggies, and brown rice), sharing with Dad the details of our day and finding out a bit about his. There are many reminders to eat... and for Peter to not just chew, but actually swallow his food.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream for the kids. And the happy clanking of spoons.

Peter gets a bath while I clean the kitchen, Hannah sweeps, and Will wipes the table.

7:15. Our nightly reading begins. Will works on reading to Dad. I read A Chair for My Mother to Peter. Peter then snuggles up on the couch and listens to Dad reading Henry Huggins to Will. Hannah has planted herself in the living room chair to work on her latest sewing project. I sit and read to her a chapter of The Penderwicks on Gardam Street. Her friend 5 doors down calls on the walkie-talkie. Hannah moves to the front steps for better reception. They end up meeting on the sidewalk in their nightgowns. Called back inside and up the stairs for prayers, more reading, and sleep. 8:20.

I then come to sit here and write this walk through my day. My husband settled at his basement desk finishing up his chapter.

I write tomorrow's school day on the white board.

Now there is more laundry to fold. There are books to read. Maybe some of that ice cream. And a bed I hope to see around 10:00.

I really love these days. Days where my car never leaves the driveway. All day spent with my kids.

A blessed day in this life.