Today, for the first time since Levi bounded out of the newborn-I-sleep-all-the-time-and-anywhere-you-put-me phase, I have felt like I know what I’m doing with my day.
I’m not just scrambling around trying to accomplish something, (or giving up and nursing all day on the couch while watching Hulu), I actually have a plan. A plan I’ve used before. A plan that has actually worked for the past {gasp} few days! A plan I like!!
First thing every morning (except Sundays), is Exercise Time. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I get up at 6:30, do Jillian’s 30-Day Shred. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get up at 5:30 to run in the bitter cold with an awesome friend. I even set my alarm for 7:30 on Saturdays to get up and run with a local running club.
Then it’s Get Ready For The Day Time. I shower, eat breakfast, and read my Bible. The kids are usually up and eat breakfast with me. They play while I finish my breakfast and read my Bible. Then they get dressed and it’s Work Time.
Work Time has been, well, a work in progress for the past couple weeks. It started around the same time as the Quarter Jar and the kids are getting used to it, finally. Work time is not optional. They can’t just forgo their quarter and play instead. It is a time when everybody works. If someone refuses to work, they spend Work Time in their room with no toys. As this is a newly implemented activity, I’m not sure how old Levi will have to be to participate. Benjamin is almost three and while he doesn’t always like it, he is completely able to partake in Work Time.
After Work Time, it’s School Time. Olivia and I are 13 weeks (plus a 10 day introductory unit) into My Father’s World Kindergarten curriculum. There are so many things I love about it, I’ll save that for a post of its own. Benjamin either plays by himself or does quiet work at the table while we do school. He usually enjoys the Free Time after Work Time. Levi is either in his high chair eating a snack or in the sling being cuddly during School Time.
After School Time, it’s Lunch Time.
After Lunch Time, it’s Play Time. My kids are usually very cooperative and excited after being fed. It would be a shame to spend that time cooped up in their rooms, so I allow them to run around a bit while I clean up lunch dishes.
After Lunch Time, it’s Quiet Time (and usually around 1:30). Quiet Time is for nappers and non-nappers alike. Well, as long as they are over a year old. I usually try to start Quiet Times as soon as Levi falls asleep or is acting tired, so as to get all three down at the same time. Quiet Times last either an hour or until you wake up. Benjamin sleeps everyday still; Olivia hasn’t slept in ages. They both get to take toys to bed to play with, but they must be QUIET. Especially Olivia, as she has Quiet Times in our bedroom, which is also where the crib is.
Benjamin usually doesn’t wake up until around 4pm, whereas Olivia is out after her hour is up, around 2:30. She is very talkative during this time. She plays by herself, asks me questions, wants to play games on the computer, wants to watch movies, wants to read books… she’s all over the place during this time.
Levi usually only sleeps about 20 minutes by himself before waking up and wanting to continue his nap with me on the couch. I usually watch a bit of Hulu, since I can’t nap due to the talkativeness. 
Any blogging I do is done during that initial 20 minutes of Levi Nap Time. Or, if I’m making a crock pot meal, during Gotta Get Ready For Dinner Time.
When Benjamin wakes up, it’s Snack Time.
Then it’s Gotta Get Ready For Dinner Time. Which goes by a couple other names as well, such as Everybody Goes Crazy Time and Nobody Gets Along Time. Oh, and the ever popular Levi Doesn’t Want To Be Put Down Time.
Then it’s Dinner Time when the Daddy gets home around 6:30. Sometimes. Other times, it’s Now I Can Finally Start Dinner Time. Which pushes Dinner Time to some pretty extreme times. Oops.
Then it’s Kids Go All Hyper With Daddy Time for most of the household while I participate in the Great Nightly Debate. Should I go with Dishes Time? Or Feet Up On Coffee Table Time? Depends, usually, on how Gotta Get Ready For Dinner Time went.
Then, when the kids stop getting along and the crying belies the hour, it’s Bed Time.
Then it’s Mommy And Daddy Crash On The Couch Time. Levi wakes up periodically to be nursed back to sleep. He spends a lot of this time unconscious in our laps just so we don’t have to keep getting up to get him.
And that’s my day!
What’s your schedule look like?
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waiting in the photo here! His "Ask Me Now" creates a quiet mood. So much space exists between the notes that there is room to rest. How does Monk's tender striking of the keys speak to simplicity? Click to listen immediately to "Ask Me Now." 
My mother got us a Pack ‘n Play for Peanut, and we still use it today. These things are great. We used it before Peanut went into her crib in her own room, and it was a great way to transition between our room and hers. They’re compact, they’re light, and they’re useful. If you travel, they’re great for toddlers. We brought it to motels, grandparents’, parents’, and on other overnight trips so Peanut would always have a bed and a place to play that she was familiar with. When she was older, we added a pillow and some buddies and it was like her own special room. Perfect if you go places and want a mobile kid. When they’re not in use, they pack up quite compactly, so they don’t take up precious closet space. There are some models with little changing areas, and there is an endless variety of colors, styles, etc. And another great thing about them: you can use them for multiple children or pass them on to family and friends, and they hold up great. 
Must have, must have. When Peanut was born, I struggled with postpartum depression, and walking helped tremendously. I can’t say enough about walking - plus it, eventually, helped me lose weight. When we had the baby, I got a double stroller because I didn’t want to miss any walks, and they both love it. Now that Peanut’s older, she gets out sometimes and walks too. But it’s great for making quick trips to the post office or store when I don’t want to drive, and it restores my sanity. 
I asked my partner which products we couldn’t have lived without for Peanut, and he said “Baby wipes,” without hesitation. Yes, they are extremely useful. And not just for diapers. We always carry them for the Little Guy but just as often need them for Peanut. Dirty faces, sticky hands - they come in handy all the time.
We didn’t need this for Peanut, but will for the Little Guy. Peanut always loved baths. She’d get in, play with her toys, splash, and have a ball. The Little Guy screams continually. He’s too big for his baby bathtub, so I’ve had to get in with him and hold him in my lap. Where he screams continually. So, I think this may help him feel more secure in the water. I hope. Otherwise, he will hate me, and we will both hate bathtime.
