I had my early alarm set on for 4:20 on Wednesday morning. I run with a friend on Wednesday's and she meets me here at 4:45 instead of my usual 5am. I still hit the snooze until 4:30 when I remember why my early alarm is set. At 4:40 Luke sends me a text while I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth that she's here. During the run I notice that my ankle is feeling pretty good. Georgia is bummed she didn't get to go too. When Luke let her out the back door she ran around front and layed on the porch, just watching.
I get home at 5:20 and decide to have coffee out on the porch even though it's still dark and damp. I'm glad I did. Again, I just can't get enough of having these doors wide open.
At 6:30 I head up to wake the kids up and shower. I unlock and open the front door on the way up for a daycare kiddo who is coming a few minutes early this morning. Beau and Sylvie are already awake. I find Beau laying upside down on his bed cuddling with Georgia. Cora's teeth are hurting and she asks for ibuprofen when I wake her up.
At 7am we head downstairs for the rest of the daycare arrivals. Beau and Cora eat toaster waffles and apples, the only breakfast they never complain about. I send home a monthly menu with the daycare kids, but sometimes I make mine waffles just to avoid the battle, and complaining. We don't have a full kitchen downstairs, so without a stove or oven our options are pretty limited to various forms of toast/waffles or cereal. Occasionally I'll make something ahead of time for us to reheat, but we generally stick to the basics. Sylvie is too busy playing with her daycare buddy and decides to eat later.
Beau has a field trip to a cave today, and I'm thankful the teachers told them they needed to have sweatshirt so I don't have to fight that battle. He also needs a cold lunch, which we forgot about last night (he never takes cold lunch). We discuss some options for him to take, and he goes up to make it himself, since I'm already downstairs with daycare kids. Cora has to give her animal presentation at school today and I'm feeling guilty that I won't be there to watch.
Beau and Cora both leave around 7:40, and the morning preschool bus arrives right at 8. Sylvie waits upstairs with her friend and they yell "bus is here!" so I know to come up and send her out the door. Sylvie and I stand in the entry and wave goodbye until the bus pulls away.
Shortly after I get a text from a friend offering to take my kids' summer camp information to the city bus service when she drops hers off. Because my job makes getting out of the house during business hours nearly impossible I take her up on it. It's close enough I could walk with my 12 kids in tow, but her offer sounded much more appealing. I brought the computer downstairs so I could get the kids' camp times organized and all in one place for her to take.
At 9am I remember that I need to eat breakfast. We only have half an English muffin left so I throw that in the toaster while I run upstairs for a quick counter clean up and start a load of laundry. I eat my English muffin and banana while I wash the kids' breakfast dishes.
As soon as dishes are done we get started with circle time, preschool activities and art project. Today we're working on parts of a flower. I work with Sylvie on sounding out/reading the labels for her flower. It's been a struggle to get her to show much interest reading/pre-reading skills. We're outside shortly after 10 and I have Sylvie finish up painting her Mother's Day rock. I bring the rest of the kid's projects out on to the deck and put a coat of sealer on them while they play.
At 11:00 we head in for lunch so Sylvie can get off to school. Once Sylvie is done eating I send her to the upstairs bathroom with a wash rag to wash her arms and legs that are all muddy from playing outside.
Sylvie and her daycare buddy wait upstairs for the bus. These are the typical shenanigans I find whenever I go up to peek in on them. While they wait I check on a 3 year old daycare kiddo in the bathroom and find him sitting on the toilet while splashing in the toilet water/pee. I get him cleaned up and then start the cleaning the the floor and walls now covered in pee water. I have to take a break to run upstairs to send Sylvie out to the bus, and then finish the clean up.
By noon all the kids are finished eating so I'm able to clean up the dining area. They look at books and take turns going potty while I wash dishes. 12:30 is story time, and then I tuck everyone in on their cots for nap.
Today during nap time I upload photos and get my Monday photos and words up on the blog. Sylvie is home at 2:30. I do a quick switch of the laundry and the kids' daily sheet write up before we head downstairs to get the kids up. I have a lot of early pick ups today, between 3 and 3:30. Although it's chaotic, I LOVE days with early pick ups, those few hours between the end of nap and my 5:30 closing time are by far the longest and most difficult of the day. Trying to divide my time between supervising daycare kids, getting cleaned up for the day, making sure my own kids get homework done before evening activities, and getting supper ready is a trick I haven't quite mastered yet. I'm trying to push my closing time earlier as I take new families, in an effort to be there for my own family and our growing number of activities and time commitments. Today I also have new clients coming to pick up paper work for when they start in the fall, so it added even more chaos to the after school circus.
By 4pm we're outside. It's damp and chilly, but not raining. I have Cora and 2 other school agers paint their rocks for Mother's Day. Beau is inside working with his 3D pen and isn't interested in painting a rock. Our project also includes a child photo, so I take photos of the daycare kids that are still here. To pass the time I walk with the daycare kiddos around the house checking on our sprouting flowers and plants in the landscaping, while the big kids play basketball. My last pick up is just after 5:30 tonight.
Due to the rainy weather Cora's softball practice is cancelled. We eat leftovers for supper. Beau complains about all the options, but ends up eating a salami and cheese sandwich (again). Sylvie chooses a BBQ pork sandwich, and Cora grilled chicken. She has stated numerous times that she loves this chicken...it's not a new recipe, but I make sure to make a note of the marinade to make again. I also have leftover chicken on top of spinach with fresh salsa as a dressing, a combo that I'm really enjoying. Luke has a little of everything.
After supper, since it's not really raining, Luke decides to take the kids to the park and have their own ball practice. I jump at the chance to have time alone in a quiet house, and work in the office with week in the life photos and Mother's Day projects.
Luke and the kids are back around 7:10. I head upstairs with the girls to help them shower and get ready for bed. Getting them settled down is always the longest part of our bedtime routine. Beau stays downstairs and watches a few minutes of the History channel. At 7:45 I call him up to get ready for bed.
After they typical bedtime giggling, it's bedtime stories for both Cora and Sylvie again, another art book by the same author as last night's story. I tuck Beau in and get ready for bed myself. A few minutes of reading before lights out at 9:30.
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