A day in the life of an Ames

In order to accomplish all that we need to on any given day, Daniel and I have had to become very efficient. This means our days are packed full and require nonstop action. First let me start off by saying we've decided to try homeschooling Andrew. Just when I thought life couldn't get any more stressful :) This might make you think...."why would you do that to yourself...add more stress to a very stresssful situation?"...well most of you already know...I sent out a sort of manifesto on why we're homeschooling. Essentially we've decided it'd be best for our kids and so we have to at least try it....so trying it we are....successful I hope we'll be...and other yoda thoughts. We may not, however, succeed....we'll see how it goes. So let me give you an idea of what our days are like.

To start....Max and Henry are ready for daylight savings. They get grouchy and demand to go to sleep around 7...7:30 these days and are waking us up at something like 5 every day. They must love the sun like their parents. Too bad we've doomed them to a life of gray skies in Bloomington, IL. :) Don't let these innocent looking guys fool you...Ohh and try to guess who's who...I'll let you know at the end.

So we wake up at 5.....try to get them to sleep until 6:15ish and then finally get up and change both of their diapers and clothes. We then get breakfast around for Andrew and Ashley who luckily dress themselves. I feed both babies and we both hold one baby while we try to eat our breakfasts. Then Holly wanders out of bed around 7 and one of us will change her and get her dressed. Then we get her breakfast and start cleaning up all of the kids mess from breakfast.

I just realized this could be the longest most boring post ever so I'll try to speed it up. We've scheduled 4 45min blocks for "school time"...one being language and reading...one being math...one being art...and the last one being science/history. So we have those dispersed throughout the day. At 9:30 every day I've started going to the gym and taking all 5 kids with me where they have childcare included in the family membership. I know they didn't have us in mind when they made up that deal. Oh well....Seller beware. My gym time will eventually become the kids' "P.E. time" as well. They also get 1 hour of tv time every day around 1 pm. One day a week we go to the children's museum from 11:00-1....and 1 day we have playgroup.

Then Daniel gets home at 4 and we "relax"...like that ever happens...for a little bit and then start dinner and have it around 5....then clean the dinner mess... and then Jammie time at 6. Then we have a school/reading time until about 7 and then it's teethbrushing and scripture readin time. Next, the older 3 go to bed. Keep in mind all of this is done while holding a baby...each of us. In addition, we are following each kid around picking up their various messes along the way. Phew....it exhausts me just thinking about our days sometimes. Daniel and I then watch a movie(or fold laundry) and then I get all the kids outfits out for in the morning and my gym bag ready...anything to make the morning easier..etc. And that's our day in a nutshell. I find that I'm happier when my life is nonstop and have less time to waste on surfing the net and shopping...my two favorite time wasters....so there you go.

In conclusion I've decided to make a t-shirt....that way I can cut down on all of my courteous responses and just point to the shirt. It will read "Yes, I DO have my hands full!" and maybe I'll add..."And I'm HAPPY about it!" By the way Henry was on the left and Maxwell was on the right. Henry has a wider head...but his isn't as funny shaped in the back...ahh well. They're the cutest babies ever as far as I'm concerned.