What's Normal Anyway?

After weeks of several sick bugs and hospital visits and surgeries and overall busyness of life, things are starting to calm down.  At the end of last week, I thought to myself that my days felt normal again.  The question that followed was, "What does normal look like right now?"  I like structure and routine, so I have in my head what a "normal" week looks like.  But I know that will change and in just a year from now "normal" will look very different.  I decided on Wednesday to document my day in an effort to remember what this season of life looks like.  I set my phone alarm and took a photo every hour (with a few extras thrown in).  I want to be able to look back on this season, remembering that "normal" was spending a lot of time doing pretty mundane things, but each day was unique because I got to spend my hours with three little people and a husband who made normal feel really special.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013:

6:00am

Ryan's gone for a run.

My alarm woke me up.  

I'm dressed and hoping to get some quiet time alone before someone needs something from me, even if it is just a snuggle.

6:02 - Rooke's footsteps keep me from making it all the way down the stairs.  I give him a snuggle, get him settled into my bed with a pile of books and instructions to rest until 6:30.

6:07 - Gretchen joins Rooke.

I go downstairs.

6:30 - Bridgette is ready to get out of her crib: "MaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaMA!"

7:00am

Breakfast of cinnamon toast, scrambled eggs and smoothies.

Ryan and I tag between burning toast and a dirty diaper.  

Little mouths are ready to EAT and setting the table is NOT what they want to be doing.

8:00am

Breakfast and accompanying devotions are over.

Morning jobs are completed.

Ryan has left for work (wave out the window!)

Everyone is dressed, some needing more help than others.

We're all crammed in the bathroom brushing teeth.

Cousin Itt doesn't want Mommy to fix her hair (you think the hair is cute, but I'll tell ya that there are plenty of days when it would be WAY easier if she had none at all!)

8:40am

Rooke has done his reading practice.

Shoes and coats on.

Out the door to walk to school.

9:00am

Rooke is settled in his classroom.

Girls are waiting for the gate of Gretchen's preschool to open so she can head in.

10:00am

Enjoying a play date snack and coffee chat with friends

11:00am

Saying goodbye to my sweet friend, Diana, and her little man.

Off to run a few errands.

11:30am 

Stopped by for a quick spin in Daddy's work chair

12:00pm

Just pulled into the driveway.

Grab some lunch.

Walk to pick up Gretchen from pre-school.

12:30pm

Tired from a morning of playing, Gretchen likes to ride home!

12:35pm

Tired of being strapped into her high chair and stroller, Bridgette likes to meander walk home!

1:00pm

Reading a couple books with Bridgette before her nap.

1:05pm

Sweet girl goes right to sleep without any fussing.  I've never felt more okay with using a pacifier.

Read with Gretchen in her bed and help her settle to rest with a "pile of books".

I hope she sleeps.

 2:00pm

Straightened up the living room.

Sitting down at the computer with a cup of tea (milk and one sugar, please).

2:30pm

Gretchen joins me downstairs.

 3:00pm

Wake Bridgette up.

Walk to pick up Rooke.

 4:00pm

After-school snack has been devoured because everyone was "SO HUNGRY" they almost couldn't walk all the way home.

4:03pm

Practicing a jump-dive-catch

Telling a story

Getting ready for swimming lessons

Putting away clean clothes from Sunday so I can fill up the basket with more dirty ones to wash

5:00pm 

"I jumped in and blew lots of bubbles!"

"I dove down and retrieved three sinkers!"

6:00pm

Ryan has a late afternoon meeting at another base an hour away, so we eat dinner without him.

Kids are allowed one candy from their treat bag.

Gretchen likes to share with Bridgette, who doesn't realize that she has it made because neither of her siblings were getting candy at 19 months!

6:00pm

Checking out our veg box delivery that came while we were swimming.

7:00pm

Kids are bathed (three is getting to be a crowd!).

Bridgette is in bed.

Bible story is read and prayers are said.

Enjoying one of my favorite parts of the day - working our way through a chapter book.

8:00pm

All the little people are sleeping.

I was supposed to be at a children's ministry meeting right now, but Ryan is stuck in traffic.

Laundry day.

Ryan comes home and we get caught up while he eats dinner.

9:00pm

Kids' load goes in last.

 10:00pm

Ready to crawl into bed and read something before my eyes can't stay open any longer.

Set alarm.

Whoever gets more tired first says "lights out".