Glimpse {Our life}

I have been cleaning off my computer the last week or so.  OH my goodness, that is a chore.  In the process, I found some very interesting files.  As some of you may recall; we used to live on an island in the Caribbean.  Oh how I wish there was blogger at that time. I could have documented so much.  The only written word that I have from that time happens to be from emails.  Luckily, I found them.  I saved them all as word files before I ever sent them out.  On the island, we were charged by the minute when we would access the internet.  I found it saved us some money if I would type everything up off-line, and then copy and paste it when I was ready to get on-line.  I am so grateful that is how I did it.  Now, I have a hard copy of our Saba memories.  I am working on printing them and making a book out of them.

I found one email that I mailed to my friend Krysta of what a typical Saba day would be like for me.  I can’t in my right mind think of why I thought she would have cared about that; but regardless I am glad that I did.  Now, I can remember and reflect about our days; and so can my kids.

That is what this post will be.  A glimpse in to a day in the life of the Swenson’s; right now.

 

Once again, I can’t in my right mind find any reason that this might interest any of you.  It just may help you see that we all have our own kind of crazy, and here is a small glimpse in to ours.  It is also one of the memories that I want to record so our kids can look back and remember.

(Krysta took our family picture yesterday, and I don’t see how this could say it any better.)

Friday June 3, 2011

5:50 am: Hit snooze; I don’t want to wake up.

6:00 am: Has it really already been nine minutes?  Roll out of bed go for a 2.5 mile run.

6:30 am: scripture study(outside so I can cool down from my run)

6:45 am: Power shower(don’t have time to wash my hair-hat day)

7:00am: get the kids out of bed, and make breakfast.  Frozen waffles, pre-cooked sausage and a smoothie.  Smoothie made by daddy.  He has a few minutes to help this morning.

7:05am:  get the kids out of bed again.  Tell them to get dressed(already laid all of their clothes out the night before)

7:10am:  kids eat breakfast while I finish getting ready(simple makeup and a hat-that about sums it up for this mom of 4)

7:25am:  kids begin their chores and so does mommy( I drink my protien shake for breakfast while I work)

Kids: beds, pjs away, prayers, teeth, hair

Mom: unload dishes, load breakfast dishes, wipe of counters, throw in a load of laundry, help with beds, make my bed and help with their hair.                                                                                      

7:38am:  Family prayer, and out the door.

7:42am: Pick up neighbor girl Emma.

7:48am: Drop the kids off(this particular morning I walk in with them; they have an assembly.)

8:15am:  Kindergarten assembly begins.  Stella is awarded with some wonderful awards.  One that is very memorable.  Mommy cries; you can’t wipe the smile of Stella’s face.

8:45am:  Assembly ends, and I have one hour before Jex’s begins.  I decide to run to Walmart.(have I gone mad?)

9:00am:  Arrive and run around like a crazy person.  Pick up what I need, and wait at the counter for the pictures I uploaded last night to one hour photo.

9:20am:  taping my toe.  wait…wait… wait.. Give the kids a sucker so they stop whining.

9:35am:  run to the car and drive back to the school

9:48am:  get to the school.  We are late.  So thankful our last name is Swenson.  They are only on the M’s when get there.

9:50am:  Jex comes to sit by me and waits.  He is relieved to see me, and rewarded for his efforts in school this year.  He gets several awards.

10:15am:  Assembly is over.  Go out to the car and put these pictures in frames:

 

these are the pictures I ran to Walmart for.  I waited until the eleventh hour to get my kids teachers gifts ready.  Put them in the frames I just bought at Walmart.  Used the windex and paper towels I packed in my car last night; for this purpose.  Tied it with a bow and added a note my kids wrote last night at 9:45pm.  Walked back in the school like I hadn’t just thrown it all together and gave it to those dear dear teachers that my kids adore.

10:40am:  Check Stella out of school.  Jex decided to stay for his last day.

10: 55am:  Sit in a gas station parking lot waiting for Stella’s friend to pick her up.  She is going to the mall with her friend for her birthday.  Her friend is having her ears pierced.  While I wait, I put together these:

…photo albums for Jex’s baseball coaches.  I also picked up these albums, and pictures at Walmart this morning.  I love multi-tasking.

each book had a collage of each boy on the team; similar to the one above. I also added some snapshots of the team and the coaches.

11: 05am:  Pass Stella off to her friend’s mother, and then go run errands.

11: 30am:  Pull in to Hobby Lobby.  I have 3 things on my list.  Tell myself to have the courage to only buy those 3 things.  I manage.  Our bank account survives my trip today.

12:15pm:  The dollar tree.  Looking at the bubbles.  Turn my back and Tess falls out of the cart.  Freaks me out.  She is fine.  Learned my lesson.  It took four kids, but now understand the importance of the buckle. 

12: 45pm:  Michael’s.  Just a few more things.  Isaac needs a potty break.  OK lets be honest, mom does too. 

1:15pm:  Kids are hungry.  McDonald’s it is. I used to hate McDonald’s, but I love it now.  Can you say Southwest Chicken Salad?

1:30pm:  Still need to go to Walmart for groceries.  Didn’t get that part done this morning.  Call Jonathan and ask him to do it on the way home.  Tess falling out of the cart pushed me over my limit.  Jonathan agrees.  He needs to get the oil changed anyways.  I love my husband. I love being a team.

2:00pm:  Stop at the school and pull Jex out.  I don’t want to come back out to get him.  Wait in front of the school for him to come out.  Isaac and Tess are asleep in their car seats.

2:10pm:  Quietly move the kids inside.  Isaac wakes up.  Oh well.  Tess stays to sleep.

2:20pm:  Jex helps me put away all  the school supplies and papers that the kids brought home from school.  Oh how I hate finding a place for papers.  What do I save, what should I throw away?  Of course the kids want to save everything.  It is so hard to be choosey.  I swear our house could get overrun with paperwork.

2:45pm:  Run through the house and finish my chores that I didn’t get to this morning. Change over the laundry.

3:20pm:  Finish working on the baseball books, and 2 birthday presents for parties that the kids have tomorrow.

(In the meantime, Jex and Isaac play with each other)

4:00pm:  I’m so glad when daddy comes home

4:15pm: Stella comes home from the mall.  Her friend and brother stay for a bit.  They decide to jump on the trampoline with the sprinkler.  We visit with our friends.

(Tess is still sleeping)

5:45pm:  Friends go home. Tess wakes up.  Jonathan starts peeling potatoes, and makes homemade French fries for the kids.  He is so nice and takes charge of dinner.  The Adults eat a lean cuisine.  The kids have fruit and homemade fries.  It is one of those nights.

6:30pm:  I start my nightly pick-up, and the kids help me.  We each have our own little spot that we are in charge of.  The kids do such a great job.  It is Friday night, and I told them they could watch a couple of Phineas and Ferb episodes when they finish up.

7:00pm:  The kids shower.  I bath Tess and Isaac.

7:30pm: Bedtime snack and a story(the kids eat a snack while I read a few chapters of something)

7:45pm:  Tess goes to bed.  The older 3 watch a Phineas and Ferb in the boys room on my laptop(thank you netflix)

8:00pm:  I am ready for comfy clothes.  I have laundry to fold, but I am so tired that I opt out.  I am ready to watch a movie with my guy.

8:15pm: Settle in with J and watch the movie “Red” staring Bruce Willis. 

9:00pm:  Kids come out of their room to say goodnight, and get a drink.  I take a break for some chocolate.  All I can find is a handful of chocolate chips.

10:00pm:  The movie is over, and I am ready for bed.  It has been a long productive day.  Straight to the bathroom to tweeze and stare at that face in the mirror that seems to get older and older regardless of how I feel on the inside.  Floss, turn on the sonicare and brush the pearlys for 2 minutes.  Begin the skincare regimen, and wonder to myself if it is doing any good.  Pull my hair back in a floppy bun on top of my head.

10:30pm:  It is always a good day when my husband crawls in bed too.  I love the nights he is home and doesn’t have to take call.  A little pillow talk, and I am off to dream land before I know it.

and…..

then it begins again.