So school is out for the kids and summer school just started for the professor. Which means I'm a single parent at home Monday through Thursday with all four, for the next 8 weeks. My dearest leaves at 6am and comes home at 11pm. Monday through Thursday. 8 weeks. Man, what am I going to do with them?
This is the first year I decided to implement a summer schedule. It basically goes like this:
5am-I get up
6am-I wake up kids for family time before Mike leaves
Kids eat breakfast and do chores
9am-Recess(That's what the kids want to call it, but it just means play time)
10am-Quiet time, reading time, nap time for the babe
11am-Lunch
12pm-Fun time(This is when we will go do fun stuff, like the science center, library, swim in people's pools, anything that involves staying cool)
3pm-TV time, friend time, and nap time(for me, that is)
5pm-dinner
6pm-Recess again
7pm-Baths
8pm-Quiet time, reading time
9pm-Bed
So I told my sister and her husband about this, and my sister says, to her dearest, "That sounds like something your mom would do," and I don't think she meant it as a compliment. I thought about that, and since she has no kids, yet, I shrugged it off. See when you don't have kids who wake up at the crack of dawn, turn on the tv, and don't move for 14 hours, you don't understand the need for some basic structure. Because if I were to, say, turn off the tv and tell them to do something else, I would get a backlash of, "There's nothing to do," "I'm so bored," "He's teasing me," and a million other phrases that grate on the sanity I'm clinging to. Hence, the schedule. Now, do we live or die by the schedule? Of course not. I can be flexible. What I think is funny is that my kids love knowing what's going to happen and when it's happening.
Yesterday my children came into my bedroom, on Memorial Day, around 6:15am.
"Mom, mom, are you up?"
Umm...no. Why?
"Come on Mom, get up, we're hungry and you said we can't eat until after family time."
"Geez guys, it's a holiday, the schedule doesn't start until tomorrow!"
"Thanks Mom."
See, they like a schedule.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Friday
Starting this Friday, we are officially going to be getting paid a regular paycheck for the entire summer. For the first time since the professor finished grad school. Let us break out the Hallelujah chorus.
There were those many summers of being in school and being broke, but those don't count because everyone is broke all year long when they're in school. Except for, of course, during financial aid distribution day, which happened twice a year. Those were good days.
Then after graduation and getting a real job teaching, we were on a nine month pay schedule. Which was great for nine months, and absolutely sucky for three. Whose idea was it to not pay people for three months out of the year? Like bills would just stop coming, we wouldn't have to eat those months? Perhaps it was assumed we would save a percentage of the paycheck in anticipation of the summer. Sure that looks good on paper, but realistic, not so much.
We switched over to the twelve month pay schedule after a while, which just meant a very large check, with a huge amount of taxes taken out, at the beginning of the summer. It was like a game to see if we could actually make it last to July. August? Yeah right.
Am I telling you this to make you feel sorry for teachers everywhere? Sort of. (If you know a teacher, send them a grocery store or gas gift card in August, they'll be forever grateful.) But mainly it's because I'm celebrating the end of an era.
Last year was the first that we could sign up for real year round pay. The same paycheck would be coming every two weeks, 26 times a year. Sweet.
Friday will be the first time this will really affect us.
Usually there would be no paycheck on Friday.
Not this Friday.
I love you Friday.
There were those many summers of being in school and being broke, but those don't count because everyone is broke all year long when they're in school. Except for, of course, during financial aid distribution day, which happened twice a year. Those were good days.
Then after graduation and getting a real job teaching, we were on a nine month pay schedule. Which was great for nine months, and absolutely sucky for three. Whose idea was it to not pay people for three months out of the year? Like bills would just stop coming, we wouldn't have to eat those months? Perhaps it was assumed we would save a percentage of the paycheck in anticipation of the summer. Sure that looks good on paper, but realistic, not so much.
We switched over to the twelve month pay schedule after a while, which just meant a very large check, with a huge amount of taxes taken out, at the beginning of the summer. It was like a game to see if we could actually make it last to July. August? Yeah right.
Am I telling you this to make you feel sorry for teachers everywhere? Sort of. (If you know a teacher, send them a grocery store or gas gift card in August, they'll be forever grateful.) But mainly it's because I'm celebrating the end of an era.
Last year was the first that we could sign up for real year round pay. The same paycheck would be coming every two weeks, 26 times a year. Sweet.
Friday will be the first time this will really affect us.
Usually there would be no paycheck on Friday.
Not this Friday.
I love you Friday.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Silly boys
You all are in for a treat. Two posts, one day.
So I'm feeling very whateverish about this blogging thing. I go through phases of loving it and loathing it. It really is just coming up with interesting things to say that gets me all riled up. Anyways...
The boys are gone, it's just the three of us girls for the weekend. What to do, what to do...don't worry, the princess has made a list. Planned for today was crafts, dinner out, and wearing matching pajama bottoms. Check, check, and check. We got to sit and talk while we ate dinner and she told me about the boy who gave her his necklace to borrow. Hmmm...who is this Jacob and why a.) is he wearing a silver star necklace to school, and b.) did he give it to you to wear home and c.) would you consider said Jacob your boyfriend?
Oh they're just friends, she says. Don't worry mom, she's going to give it back tomorrow, she says. Right.
I'm just wondering if my tiny little princess, who suddenly appears no older than my tiny baby, would tell me if she did have a boyfriend. Would I tell my mom? Sorry mom, but probably not. So how do I handle this?
I decide that if I make it a big deal, it will be a big deal. And we don't want any big deals. So I shrug it off to silly boys, she laughs, we finish dinner. The end.
I am so screwed.
So I'm feeling very whateverish about this blogging thing. I go through phases of loving it and loathing it. It really is just coming up with interesting things to say that gets me all riled up. Anyways...
The boys are gone, it's just the three of us girls for the weekend. What to do, what to do...don't worry, the princess has made a list. Planned for today was crafts, dinner out, and wearing matching pajama bottoms. Check, check, and check. We got to sit and talk while we ate dinner and she told me about the boy who gave her his necklace to borrow. Hmmm...who is this Jacob and why a.) is he wearing a silver star necklace to school, and b.) did he give it to you to wear home and c.) would you consider said Jacob your boyfriend?
Oh they're just friends, she says. Don't worry mom, she's going to give it back tomorrow, she says. Right.
I'm just wondering if my tiny little princess, who suddenly appears no older than my tiny baby, would tell me if she did have a boyfriend. Would I tell my mom? Sorry mom, but probably not. So how do I handle this?
I decide that if I make it a big deal, it will be a big deal. And we don't want any big deals. So I shrug it off to silly boys, she laughs, we finish dinner. The end.
I am so screwed.
All About Me
Not super great at this posting thing. But I know you guys are wondering about me. So if I had to choose 10 quirky things about me, they would be:
1. I can crack my neck just by turning my head. It's a pretty impressive talent.
2. I love to run races just so I can feel the thrill of passing people. Especially if it's someone I know. Not super sportsman like of me, sure. But it's my competative nature.
3. I keep losing my two smallest right toenails. They keep falling off, especially after a long run. I'm not sure why. It's pretty crazy to have no toenails, especially when you wear flip flops all the time.
4. I take a nap almost every day. Sometimes twice a day. Let's face it, whenever I get the chance to close my eyes. Sometimes I set the microwave timer to wake me up so I won't forget to get the kids from school. Lazy? Yes I am.
5. I love to wake up and drink a Diet Dr. Pepper at 4:30am. It's how I start the day.
6. I have celiac disease which means no wheat, barley, or rye to eat. I am a gluten free girl. Or at least try to be.
7. I have not been, um, endowed, but I have no desire to change them. I hate pain and quite frankly would look very silly.
8. I have this thing about sleeping with the lights on. My husband hates it. He will usually get up after I've gone to sleep and turn off all the lights, which bugs me because if I have to get up in the middle of the night, I hate not being able to see anything. So now he leaves the kids' bathroom light on, which isn't very bright but better than nothing.
9. I love to read books but don't do it that often because if I start to read something, I cannot put it down until I'm done. I will literally sit and read for hours and hours.
10. I found my first grey hair when I was 19. It's been all downhill since.
I am quirky. A little.
1. I can crack my neck just by turning my head. It's a pretty impressive talent.
2. I love to run races just so I can feel the thrill of passing people. Especially if it's someone I know. Not super sportsman like of me, sure. But it's my competative nature.
3. I keep losing my two smallest right toenails. They keep falling off, especially after a long run. I'm not sure why. It's pretty crazy to have no toenails, especially when you wear flip flops all the time.
4. I take a nap almost every day. Sometimes twice a day. Let's face it, whenever I get the chance to close my eyes. Sometimes I set the microwave timer to wake me up so I won't forget to get the kids from school. Lazy? Yes I am.
5. I love to wake up and drink a Diet Dr. Pepper at 4:30am. It's how I start the day.
6. I have celiac disease which means no wheat, barley, or rye to eat. I am a gluten free girl. Or at least try to be.
7. I have not been, um, endowed, but I have no desire to change them. I hate pain and quite frankly would look very silly.
8. I have this thing about sleeping with the lights on. My husband hates it. He will usually get up after I've gone to sleep and turn off all the lights, which bugs me because if I have to get up in the middle of the night, I hate not being able to see anything. So now he leaves the kids' bathroom light on, which isn't very bright but better than nothing.
9. I love to read books but don't do it that often because if I start to read something, I cannot put it down until I'm done. I will literally sit and read for hours and hours.
10. I found my first grey hair when I was 19. It's been all downhill since.
I am quirky. A little.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Is it over yet?
So the semester is officially over in a few days, and my hubby(I hate that term) will be home for a few weeks to putter around the house until summer school starts up. I know what some of you may be thinking, wow, her husband, being in the school system, gets so many vacations and so much time off, how wonderful.
And it is.
Sometimes.
And sometimes he gives my friends a hard time about how often they call, and do I really spend that much time on the phone? And why am I taking a nap when it's only 9am (ignoring the fact that I've been up since 4:30am, run, showered, made breakfast, packed lunches, nursed and fed a baby, changed diapers, cleaned up breakfast, gotten the kids to school, and all the other things I do before he rolls out of bed) And what's there to eat, do we need to get groceries again? And how often do you go out to lunch with your friends? And where's my pen, who keeps taking my pen, How Am I Supposed To Do Bills Without My Pen?!
I am truly happy to spend so much quality time with the professor. I really, really am. We have a great marriage. But it is based on the fact that he goes to work and I take care of everything else, every thing except bills and laundry that is. I get things done in my own time on my own schedule. And sometimes, when he's around all day, watching my every move, I get a little antsy.
Summer school starts May 29th. Let's count down the days.
And it is.
Sometimes.
And sometimes he gives my friends a hard time about how often they call, and do I really spend that much time on the phone? And why am I taking a nap when it's only 9am (ignoring the fact that I've been up since 4:30am, run, showered, made breakfast, packed lunches, nursed and fed a baby, changed diapers, cleaned up breakfast, gotten the kids to school, and all the other things I do before he rolls out of bed) And what's there to eat, do we need to get groceries again? And how often do you go out to lunch with your friends? And where's my pen, who keeps taking my pen, How Am I Supposed To Do Bills Without My Pen?!
I am truly happy to spend so much quality time with the professor. I really, really am. We have a great marriage. But it is based on the fact that he goes to work and I take care of everything else, every thing except bills and laundry that is. I get things done in my own time on my own schedule. And sometimes, when he's around all day, watching my every move, I get a little antsy.
Summer school starts May 29th. Let's count down the days.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
My Girls
They are too cute.
On a side note:
My daughter wrote me this card. It was a school assignment, they had to write a card to somebody and she picked me. It said:
Dear Mom,
I like it when you are nice to me. You are always so mean.
Your Daughter,
Emme
Nice, huh?
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