A man and his cat
by Heather | 0 comments
Andy and Colby. Colby and Andy. It’s enough love and kitty smooches to make you gag ;-)
by Heather | 0 comments
Andy and Colby. Colby and Andy. It’s enough love and kitty smooches to make you gag ;-)
by Heather | 0 comments
I spotted these guys sitting on the telephone pole outside our house. I’ve seen them circling and hunting in the fields down the road but it was neat to look out the kitchen window and spot them. Anyone know what they are? Hawks?
by Heather | 0 comments
I’ve always wanted to do one of these, in fact I wish I had done one a few years ago when the kids were babies to compare. I took all the pics with my cell phone, but it gives you a glimpse of what goes on. Post is kind of long, so stick with me!
7:30am
I try to wake up before the kids to give me a few minutes to pee and brush my teeth before somebody needs me. Some days this doesn’t work because the kids wake up at 7, but most days I’m able to get a little time first. My new garmin has a vibrate alarm that I love waking up to, nice and gentle (before the chaos).
8:00-8:30
Head upstairs to make the kids breakfast and get everything ready for the day.
8:30-9:00
Drop Ben off at school, it’s held at a church about 15 minutes from the house.
9:15-11:15
Head back across town to the Y. Cassidy hangs out in childwatch while I do a CX Worx (core) and Body Combat class and then shower. I look thrilled.
11:30
Wait in line to pick Ben up from school.
11:45-12:15
We get home and play outside for a little bit until Cassidy starts complaining that her hands are cold. She’s taken off her gloves and refuses to put them back on.
12:15-12:45
Kids watch the Lego movie while I get some chores done.
I grab some more firewood from the back and add it to the fireplace downstairs. We heat with wood in the winter so you have to keep things going all day or else it dies out and is a pain to restart.
I also make myself some lunch and try to eat a little bit before I have a visitor asking for some.
12:45-1:15
Make the kids lunch and do some dishes while they eat.
1:15-1:30
We read a few books before nap time.
1:30-3:30
Ben has quiet time and Cassidy naps while I head downstairs to get some work done.
My two favorite office mates are always on the job.
3:30-5:00
Kids are up, we have snack and Cassidy colors while Ben works on his Valentine’s for class.
The kids finish their projects and actually start to play nicely with Legos. I take the chance to vacuum upstairs (we hosted the youth group Superbowl party the night before and there are crumbs everywhere). Not that there normally aren’t crumbs everywhere, there just happens to be a lot more of them today.
I bring the vacuum downstairs with every intent of cleaning the bottom floor later (it never happens, I usually get to it the following week). While I’m downstairs I notice the litter box needs to be scooped (no picture, lol). In the middle of scooping cat poop I hear Ben freaking out upstairs because Cassidy had an accident. I leave the half scooped poop and go upstairs to find Cassidy actually tried to climb up on the potty and go herself and ended up getting pee all over the seat and floor. Clean up that mess and then head back downstairs to finish cat poop.
5:00-6:00
I make dinner (sorry no pics) and the kids and I eat. I clean the kitchen up and make a plate for Andy when he gets home. Sometimes he makes it home in time to eat with us, other times he’s pretty late. Today he gets home at 6:30.
6:30-7:00
After Andy eats he somehow gets into a little wrestling match with the kids :)
7:00-7:30
Bathtime, teeth, jammies and story time for Cassidy.
7:30-8:00
Ben and Andy play video games for a little bit until it’s Ben’s turn for a bath and bed.
8:00-8:30
Laundry! There are 5 lovely loads of it waiting downstairs in the laundry room. I separate the kids into their baskets to be put away tomorrow (again if we’re being honest, they’re still sitting upstairs 3 days later waiting to be put away). I do put Andy’s and my clothes away though.
8:30-9:00
One of my least favorite chores, meal planning and figuring out the shopping list for the week. Normally I go grocery shopping on Thursdays (so I plan Wednesday nights) but this week my car is going to be at the dealer’s on Thursday because we found out about a gas tank recall (fun wow!). So I need to meal plan and get things together Monday night to shop on Tuesday.
9:00-9:30
I return some emails and texts that I never got to earlier in the day. I also try to deal with some of the papers that have accumulated on the kitchen counters, but only halfheartedly and most of them remain there for me to deal with another day. I separate out Ben’s school papers, look at what he worked on that day and recycle what I don’t save. I also gather up all the library books strewn about the livingroom and put them in the library bag for the morning.
9:30-11:00
Andy and I sit on the couch, he’s doing something on his laptop and watching TV. I’m working on a logo design for a friend who is starting her own business. I finish up the Illustrator file and email her a pdf to review.
11:00-11:30
I get my pjs on, wash my face and brush teeth (aren’t our family of tooth brushes cute!) I also pack my gym bag for tomorrow.
11:30-11:45
Doesn’t always happen, but I do try to take a little time to unwind before bed (even if it’s just a few minutes). Sometimes it’s reading (until I fall asleep a few minutes later) and other times I journal or do devotions.
Goodnight!
And that’s it! Rinse, lather, repeat the next day. Actually every day of the week is a little different…Tuesday is Ben’s library class day and Wednesday afternoon the kids spend with my pastor’s wife so I can get some design work done. All of them are crazy, exhausting, wonderful, hard, fun, full days!
by Heather | 0 comments
Also referred to as “Dogfest” by Andy the cat lover. This post is for you baby, there were dogs everywhere, you would have hated it ;-)
Saturday, Andy watched the kids while I went to a gathering of English Shepherds and their owners. ES’s are a herding breed related to border collies and aussies and they used to populate farms across the country. They’re not as popular now which is why groups of them get together occasionally to hang out and enjoy each others company. The dogs are intelligent, protective and strive to please their owners whether living in the suburb or working sheep and cattle on a farm. The joke goes that Timmy wouldn’t have even been stuck IN the well if Lassie had been an English Shepherd.
I actually had two growing up, from this rescue organization. Since we’re a no dog family (currently…..?) it was really fun to hang out with the dogs and help where needed. There were raffles, speakers, an agility course, bbq picnic, hikes and sheep herding demonstrations all planned for the long weekend.
by Heather | 0 comments
We had a little visitor in our yard for a few days. I learned that mommy deer “park” their babies sometimes because they can’t keep up yet. The fawns don’t have any scent so they can’t get picked up by predators and stay relatively safe until mama gets back to feed them and move them along. Ben thought she was the cutest little thing and kept asking about her even after the doe had picked her back up.
by Heather | 0 comments
Colby and Jack are so good with the kids. Sometimes they’ll trot away and other times they’ll stick around to get pet. Although Colby doesn’t look too thrilled in this picture, Cassidy loves him so ;-)