Will I remember what I did on an ordinary day 20 years from now? It’s quite possible I won’t, unless I write it down. The Art of Simple blog, founded by Tsh Oxenreider, has inspired me to write down an ordinary day in my current phase of life. My hope is it will inspire others to do the same, as well as give me a glimpse into what my daily life looked like 20 years from now when I just can’t remember.
My Day in the Life looks like chaos, a bunch of deep breaths, and some mini victories scattered throughout the minutes and meals. I’m a stay at home mom raising three children 6, 4, 2 with one baby boy due in August. We live in rural Iowa with just enough space my kids can scream at the top of their lungs and there is a good chance no one’s ears but mine will endure it. My oldest, Luke, is doing kindergarten at home with me this year and our middle child, Lily, is completing preschool at home as well. Our youngest, Jude, tags along on all our adventures. Our life is simple and messy and full of chaos and love. For better or worse, here is our day in the life…
5:50 – My alarm goes off. I lay there for five minutes thinking about the day ahead and then get up, make the bed, stretch on the floor for a few minutes, and take a shower. After my shower, I start a load of laundry.
6:17 – I fill up my water pitcher for the morning and get homeschool supplies out for the day. I sit on the couch with my Bible, laptop, and daily notebook. I read about Paul, pray, and write 5 things I’m grateful for.
6:47 – Lily gets up and cuddles with me on the couch while I catch up on Marco Polo. I also order Luke’s math curriculum for next year and pay a few bills. Lily puts her hand on my belly and feels the baby kick. Her sleepy eyes in the morning always get me.
7:10 – Kevin gets Luke and Jude up. I start breakfast for the kids: mini pancakes and yogurt and Cheerios for them, eggs and toast for me.
7:55 – The kids finish breakfast and get dressed while I clean the kitchen. They start playing while I hang up laundry from the washer and put another load in.
8:15 – Luke is completing a plane puzzle and I read him a book for social studies as well as our novel at the moment: The Family Under the Bridge. Lily sits next to me while I read and Jude is playing with cars.
8:45 – I change Jude’s diaper and get him dressed. The kids ask me to help them with their kangaroo and shark costumes. I go to vacuum downstairs and the kids follow me down, in costume, and play music on the keyboard. I post a video on Instagram stories. A few minutes later, I find Luke and Lily in Lily’s room reading books.
9:20 – The kids meet me in the playroom after the timer goes off. They need a few reminders to get their little behinds there for school. We go through our ‘circle time’ talking about the calendar, letter Y, and read a few poems. The kids share their show and tell. Lily and Jude go downstairs to play and Luke gets his school box and meets me at the dining room table. Luke writes in his journal about his beloved dinosaur stamps and draws a picture. He gets frustrated I can’t figure out ‘shimps’ is ‘stamps’. We dive into math and Luke completes a few pages on skip counting and adding hundreds. Jude runs back and forth from the pantry to me saying ‘Mommmmmaaa’. Lily has somehow changed clothes again, she is on outfit number three.
10:17 – Luke puts his supplies and folder away and I call Lily to the table. Luke takes the whiteboard to copy dinosaur names on it from a book. Lily needs a few reminders to come to the table and she finally comes, without her school box. She goes and gets it and completes her calendar, practices her name a few times and then draws in her journal. Jude gets his scooter out and is spinning around in the kitchen. Lily and I talk about squares and she traces some while Jude and Luke put together a train puzzle.
10:40 – I put school books away and plan our homeschool for next week. I watch a Marco Polo from a friend and then record one while Jude plays next to me on the couch. I can hear Luke and Lily singing ‘Happy Birthday’ from Lily’s room.
11:05 – I start a lunch of peanut butter and jelly with apples and oranges. I make a flatbread cheese pizza for me. I call the kids to the table and lunch is filled with giggles and jokes and me trying to keep their bottoms in their chairs. Jude laughs at Luke and Lily for no apparent reason. Luke and Lily argue over who the daffodils in the vase are pointing to. (Really?)
11:50 – I can’t wait any longer and I turn on the LSU vs. Yale March Madness game while the kids finish up lunch. The kids filled out brackets last night with Kevin. I tell Lily she is cheering for the blue team (Yale) and the rest of us are cheering for the white team (LSU). After the children and kitchen are clean, I sit down on the couch to watch the game. Luke and Lily go to play basketball downstairs and then they join Jude upstairs building with manga tiles.
12:55 – I turn off the game (reluctantly) and have the kids pick up and get ready for nap. I read Jude three train books and put him down for a nap. Luke and Lily each choose a book and I read to them. I cut Lily’s fingernails and then cuddle with her in bed.
1:27 – Luke and I go through his reading lesson on the couch. He chooses to watch Dinosaur Britain for his reward and I doze off (as always) as he finishes it. He uses the bathroom and I walk him to his room.
1:55 – I head downstairs to do some office work for the farm. After I complete a few tasks, I grab my ear buds and head to the backyard to cut back some dead plants in the garden, take the trash out, and check the mail. I listen to Jamie Ivey’s podcast while I work.
2:50 – I gather my laptop, my daily notebook, my brackets and sit on the couch. I multitask by watching the games and finishing up the podcast. Baby Boy starts kicking me like crazy and I stop to take it in. I chug some water and eat a Snickers ice cream bar. After finishing up the podcast, I start a blog post about clutter and write for 30 minutes.
4:02 – I close my laptop and get the kids up. Luke comes right out and starts playing while I cuddle with Lily in her bed. She gets dressed (she changed into pajamas during nap time) and comes out to play with Luke. I get Jude up and we all go outside to ride bikes in the sunshine.
5:20 – We come inside and I change for Journey Group. About 10 minutes later Kevin gets home and his parents come in. I relay a few things about dinner, give kisses, and Kevin and I are out the door.
6:18 – Kevin and I pull into Cellar 19 to get our carry out order and eat. We pick up groceries from Wal-Mart pick-up and then head to Journey Group.
6:55 – We arrive at Journey Group and discuss upcoming social events and then dive into discussing Paul and the early church.
8:15 – We leave Journey Group feeling filled up.
9:10 – We pull into home, unload groceries, and say good-bye and thank you to Kevin’s parents.
9:20 – I wash my face and pick up the kitchen and living room. I sit down to watch a bit of March Madness with Kevin and my phone tells me to go to bed.
9:45 – Kevin and I head to bed. It doesn’t take me long to fall asleep tonight. My body is tired and I know it needs the rest because there is a good chance I will wake in the middle of the night feeling those sweet baby kicks.
If you made it all the way to the end, you are a trooper! Thanks for sticking with me.
Tell me, what does your ordinary day look like? An easy way to track your day is to use the ‘notes’ app on your phone and take notes throughout the day. I plan on doing this once a year so I’m able to look back and catch a glimpse into my life at each and every stage. What do you think, are you in?