Weekly Obsession: Routine

     As I told about in my last post, I've spent the last few weeks trying to find my routine again. We have two new roomies and when they moved in my routine got completely thrown off and really messed with my head. My routine is not only important to me, but to my kids too. I'm noticing as things get back in order my kids are sleeping better and behaving better as well.

     My days have a pretty easy to follow routine, but there is one simple thing that if it gets thrown off - everything does. If I can't keep up on laundry, my whole house becomes a disaster (at least in my mind). So adding two people to the work load was like derailing a train. They were very helpful, don't get me wrong. We all felt like we were constantly cleaning until I figured out how to get things back on track.

     My day during the week when we have an extra toddler in the house is structured like this (this is just a general schedule but it stays pretty much the same):

7 am - woke up by the 2 year old and both kids get changed and fed

8 am - turn on cartoons and do morning clean up (start a load of laundry, fold what might be in the dryer, do breakfast dishes)

9 am - wake up the rest of the house and help get them out the door for work and other such things (and get the roomies air mattress off the floor)

10 am - finally feed myself before the extra 2 year old arrives at 10:30

11 am - get the kids set up to color, play with building toys or puzzles, or go outside to play

12 pm - get the kiddos lunch and feed whoever else is home

1 pm - get a movie going for the kiddos

2 pm - nap time (even daddy takes a nap most times) while I do afternoon clean up and keep up on laundry

3 pm - my free time: pen pal letters, edit photos, make digital pages, work on a DIY/craft project

4 pm - our extra toddler is picked up and our own kiddos wake up and we try to get outside for play time again

5 pm - get dinner going (if it hasn't been in the crockpot all day) and eat

6 pm - dinner clean up, more laundry and bath time for kiddos

7 pm - an episode of Curious George is turned on for the 2 year old (we've been through the seasons on Netflix about a million times but it's part of his routine and he won't give it up)

8 pm - bedtime for kiddos and more laundry and extra clean up

9 pm - more of my free time and possibly an episode of Bones or Law and Order SVU with the hubby

10 pm - get hubby off to work and get back to my free time

11 pm - start thinking about bedtime for myself while enjoying my free time and doing more laundry

12 am - time to be in bed for sure most nights

In the comments: how structured is your day? and your kiddos?