Nicole's challenge 65.

“Hey there, it’s Barbie. Time to wake up, Sleepyhead. Today is going to be a great day! Rise and shine, Barbie girl!”

No, I do not have a Barbie alarm clock but my daughter, who sleeps across the hall, does. And if no one crawls into bed with me before 7:15AM, it is the first thing I hear as I begin to face the day.

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I trudge to the kitchen to get my little ones breakfast and turn on the local radio station so I can hear the weather report. While they eat, I get lunches ready for school. Then it’s time to get them dressed, hair combed, teeth brushed and a few minutes of playtime before we leave while I scarf down a granola bar and throw some clothes on myself.

School is only a couple blocks away and as I walk back home, it is unnaturally quiet. Even more so once I am inside the house. This is the first year where I have had both kids in school all day. Since Gabriel is in kindergarten, he spends 3 days a week at school and the other 2 with me. If he is home, the day is broken up much more with reading, playing games, snacks, and generally keeping him entertained. If he is at school, then I can focus more easily on work related issues, getting assignments done, and tackling some household chores that are so much easier done sans kids.

My hubby comes home for lunch daily. It’s a nice way to catch up on how each other’s day is going to far and go over our plans for the evening.

Once I pick up the kids from school, it is time to get caught up on their day. Who did they play with? Did they have gym? What activity centers did they work at today? Snacks and homework follow. Then it is time for a bit of television while I prepare supper.

The evening varies depending on the day of the week. Terry might have soccer or volleyball, Dominique may have dance lessons or I may be having friends over for our weekly scrap night. If it is a “free” night, then we usually play some sort of game before we get the kids to bed at 8:00PM

By this time, I am usually fairly wiped out. I think about what needs to be done the next day and go over what is scheduled into my day planner. Nothing worse than being surprised first thing in the morning and being caught unprepared! Most nights, I either read or watch tv until it’s time to tuck myself into bed.

The life of a Mother…. :0)