Relaunch!!

Ok.  My last post was a failed attempt at getting back to blogging.  Obviously.  Over a year ago.  Pathetic really.  

Not a lot has changed, however, except the girls getting bigger and bigger and me getting older and older.  I am back into the preschool routine with Hayden.  She is going four times a week - Monday through Thursday - and still loves every minute of it.  So, just for fun, here is how are school mornings go...

5:30 AM - Mommy wakes up and has an hour to wake up, make tea, ease into the day with a little Facebook time.  Just a little calm before the storm.  Sidenote: I am not "allowed" to wake up Hayden or be woken up by Hayden if I am tired in the least.  It really causes a ruckus and doesn't kick off the day right.  So that is another reason I try to get up at least an hour before she and I have our first encounter.  Peppy morning Mommy is a requirement...every day.  

6:30 AM - I wake up Hayden with a skip in my step and a twinkle in my eye.  I must call her Rainbow Dash twice while she is under her covers.  I have to say it a very certain way and then she will kick off her blankets and the morning begins.  She grabs her favorite of all favorite friends - Baby Jaguar (who is actually a small stuffed tiger) and her milk cup (yes, she goes to bed with milk) and I typically carry her very tall and growing four year old body down the steps.  Another reason I need to be especially awake at this time.

6:45 AM - She lays on the longer couch with a certain pillow and I cover her with a Steelers blanket (gold side up) - GO STEELERS.  I proceed to turn on PBS morning shows and make her chocolate milk (which is actually her breakfast in disguise - Carnation Breakfast - since she doesn't typically eat breakfast).

7:00 AM - Wake up Emma if she isn't awake already.  Change diaper, fix her milk, start her breakfast.

7:15 AM - I begin the countdown to doing her "morning checklist" which is a play by play of what she needs to do to get ready for school.  A very detailed play by play.  15 minutes and counting...
I also start packing lunches - for Hayden, Emma and me.  It is a lot to juggle but I make a list the night before of what I am going to pack so that helps the process a bit.

7:25 AM - I give the five minute cue and this begins the battle royale starting with "another five minutes please?"  Or "can I skip brushing teeth?"  

7:30 AM - Time for checklist.  As long as I keep my voice positive, turn it into a game or use some sort of bribery - this can go fairly well up to the brushing teeth part.  Every morning she says she has an icky taste in her mouth so she rinses many many times before I finally have to physically place the toothbrush in her hand.  This is the part I allow so much time for.  

8:00 AM - The time we must leave to get to school on time.  Or at least the time I want to get her there.  She can arrive anywhere between 8 and 8:45.  Class begins at 9 AM.  We are pretty consistent at getting there right around 8:45.  I would love to get there at 8:30 so she has more time to play.  However, with the routine above and the drive time (a good thirty minutes), 8:45 AM seems to be more our "speed" so to speak.

8:45 AM - Hayden is successfully dropped off and I sign her in.  Whew, phase one of my day is complete.  Now off to the gym.

Emma and I go to the gym after dropping off Hayden.  Emma plays in the play area - her original reluctance to do this has since diminished.  She seems to be pretty confident that I will return for her.  I feel this is such a good thing and will help in a few more years when I drop her off at preschool.

Emma and I stay on that side of town to save gas mostly but it also allows her and I to have some one on one time which is nice.  Sometimes we run errands - groceries, Costco, etc.  But some days we head to one of the parks close by to Hayden's school - one of which is pretty nice and never too crowded.  We have our "picnic" lunches in the car (to keep her confined so she will eat) and then we go play.  At 12:30 we pick up Hayden and head on home so everyone can relax a little.  Monday is a crazy day because Hayden has dance at 3:30 so there is very little time in between school and dance.

Afternoons are when I do my "chore list".  I have an awesome app that I got from Motivated Moms website http://www.motivatedmoms.com/ that keeps my chores manageable and keeps the house looking clean and organized.  Well, other than the typical toy explosion that happens no matter what. Toys are put away and organized after bath time.  I will give a rundown of our night time routine tomorrow.  I don't want to overwhelm you right out of the gate.  ;)

So that pretty much sums up the day up to dinner time.  I find it interesting that some people think stay at home moms have it easy or we just sit around and don't do anything.  Couldn't be further from the truth.  I think I sat around more when I had a job in some ways.  I think about all the countless meetings and desk time.  I am always moving now.  And, although the park with a two year old sounds like recreational time, I assure you it is hard work.  Chasing, negotiating, correcting, etc.  Precious time without a doubt but definitely not effortless.

Why am I back to writing?  Every day something seems to happen or I learn something new and I start "writing" a blog entry in my head.  So why not click it out on the keyboard to keep my mind active and fresh?

When I was first blogging, I was part of blogging groups of other moms and it was a very nice community so I thought I would do that again.

Eventually it would be nice to find my niche.  Maybe help other moms with ideas, strategies, briberies and other tips and tricks - of course knowing that things that work with my kids may not work for others.

Blogging may take more of an effort with two kids during the day and absolutely no energy to even open my computer at night but my goal is a post a day.  Hopefully with fun tips, funny stories, current event topics, new recipes I've tried, craft ideas and other topics that fly around in my head during the day.

Tomorrow...our night time routine and (hopefully) an update of our "family" tab.