What do you Think?

To schedule, or not to schedule... Let me just start by saying, I am a schedule person. I love schedules. I don't like surprises. Sometimes I have trouble accepting a change in the schedule - even if it means a pedicure. Don't worry - I get the pedicure, its just hard to change gears. So - do you have a schedule? Is it written down, in your head or just jumbles. What do you find works best for your kids? How do you incorporate school/learning in your day? I will probably always be a schedule person, although I imagine that I will have to be more adjustable when I am home full-time...

Here is a look at our schedule:

4:45AM - Max's alarm goes off and by 5:10am he is out of bed and out the door. I get up when he leaves and I get ready for the day.
5:30/6:00AM - KayLynn awakens. I try to let her get up on her own because she is so much happier if I do. Some days I wake her and take her to the babysitter in her pjs - but usually she is dressed and ready for the day.
6:00AM - KayLynn gets her soy milk and toast while she watches about 15 minutes of cartoons - actually she spends this time waking up fully.
6:20AM - We pack up the car and the kid and we head to the baby sitter's house. KayLynn and I chat the whole way - she usually talks about whatever babysitter she is going to see that day, and their pets.
7:00AM~3:30PM - I work. KayLynn plays at babysitters
3:50~5:15PM - 2 days a week I Pick KayLynn up and we go play till I workout. We either go to the park, or the library, or home and I use this time as condensed playtime with her. The other days, I work out and then I get her and we go play.
5:35~6:30PM - Workout/spin class
6:45PM - Home getting dinner for KayLynn, and then afterwards she gets a bath and we read books till bedtime - she is in bed before 8pm
8:15PM - Clean up the house and get dinner for Max on. Pack our stuff for the next day, and pack lunches for KayLynn and Max.
9:45PM - Max gets home and we eat dinner. I try to wait and eat dinner with him, but sometimes I am too hungry!

Of course, Mondays are a little more complicated because I try to do Pilate's from 7:30~8:30 as well. My dad is watching K for me, in the church nursery, so that I can do it, so I should be able to be more consistent with that. Wednesdays Max is off, so I workout in the morning or afternoon, depending on how I feel, then we have family time or I get some time by myself and KayLynn gets daddy time. What do you do?

First Weekend Together

We had such a great weekend together. Saturday morning we all played on the bed together, "Where's KayLynn?" and then we went to the zoo! After the zoo we relaxed, watched movies, took cat naps, played with the baby, fought with the baby about taking a nap... Lately she has been testing who is in charge when there are more than one babysitter or parent present. Whenever there are two of us(at my house or theirs) she starts doing everything she knows she is supposed to do. So - we are spending time teaching her that, yes, she must obey everyone!Hhowever, that doesn't stop her from being adorable and sweet most of the time.
Feeding the goats at the zoo, with her palm up, just like granny taught her!

Here are some other zoo picture - not sure what happend with the formatting..

On Sunday we went to my parents for the afternoon. KayLynn took an almost three hour tour nap and we all ate pizza, pate and sausage - yes I know its weird.

All in all it was a great weekend. One of the greatest parts was knowing that we get to do it again, and again. I wan tto remind myself that these weekends are great, I don't want to get into a rut where I take it for granted that we have family time. hope your weekends were just as great.

Congrats Vangilders!!

Tidbits

~This morning my daughter asked me if we were going "bye bye" and when I responded "yes", she started naming babysitters..."Granny? Minol(Michael)? Mimi? Buddy? Daddy? Mia? Aunt Many(Mandy)?" and so on... Did you hear the dog's name in there?? Why yes you did!

~Yesterday morning I woke up to chucky my daughter staring at me in the face, with wide eyes, laughing. Psycho kid...

~Don't touch KayLynn's head - it will make you feel like you are abusive. If you even look like you are going to touch her hair, she grabs her head and says, "Ow".

~Since she has learned to say goodbye to the Krulish girls each afternoon by hugging them, she now says goodbye to Beider and the cats each morning by giving them hugs.

~Yesterday in the play area at the YMCA a mean kid dumped the kitchen over on KayLynn, 5 minutes after my workout started. 5 minutes. So I went and beat up the kid I had to leave because KayLynn was inconsolable.

~This weekend marks the first full weekend that my husband and I have ever had in our entire married life. Actually, I think I can safely say, ever. I am so excited.

What do you think Wednesday

When should our children be in church? Should we wait till they are one?two?three? Till they can recite the catechism? Till they can be quiet for more than five seconds together? I see kids younger than KayLynn in church and kids older than her in the nursery - so what do you think? And, do you think it is a black and white issue, or does it depend on the child? How did you come to your decision?

(Added)
What we do: KayLynn has been in the service, except for the sermon, the last few weeks. Due to KayLynn's likeness to her mother, she talks a lot. It is hard for her to be quiet longer than a few seconds at a time. We are working on it at home so that she can get used to the idea. Probably we will start trying to have her sit through the whole service a little at a time. However, we don't want to exasperate her by expecting something that she is not yet able to do. We do want KayLynn to love church and enjoy fellowship with the body. I firmly believe that while we are mothers/fathers sometimes the worship that the Lord expects of us, is not always listening to the sermon; sometimes it is teaching our children to worship.

What a day...

Just got back from the women's retreat (which was so great - I had a blast, and some much needed R&R), so I figured KayLynn and I could use some good play time. Yesterday, after I picked her up from Mia's (Aria), we went to the park in North Tacoma. We had a blast. We had to take about an hour break from our together time because I had to go to my spin class. However, afterwards we went home and had dinner and read together until bed time.

Sunday when I got home, we did not do a whole lot (that includes cleaning the house!). I was so thankful when I showed up at home yesterday afternoon and my house was clean. My M-I-L had stopped by to pick up the vacuum she loaned us, and while she was there cleaned the house. Actually I haven't confirmed it was her, maybe it was just the fairies!!


All-in-all a good day.

A new Babysitter and a Blessing

Well, as I told you all, the Krulishes will be watching KayLynn for us 2 days a week. This is such a blessing because KayLynn is learning how to play with other kids and all while being watched by a godly woman that I trust. From the looks of things, its going well. KayLynn loves "Buddy Bert" Wren and KayLynn just 'chillin...

Lilia likes to be KayLynn's "Mommy" and have KayLynn on her lap! Apparently KayLynn called Aria, "Mom" and Lilia was quick to remind her that she has a mommy, and its not Aria. So, Aria has been dubbed, "Mia"Praise the Lord for such a wonderful answer to prayer.

**This morning I woke KayLynn up to put on her coat and leave. She started to fuss (literally 2 seconds) and then opened her eyes, looked and me and said, "go bye bye?" and I said "Yes, we have to go to Mimi's". Her response? "Banana?" So, apparently waking early is not all bad! My resilient little girl surprises me. When we got in the car she just talked the whole way about seeing Mimi and Buddy(the dog). She is so sweet and cheerful - I could really learn a lesson from her.

What do you think Wednesday - on Thursday!

ooops I forgot what day it is, here we go...

There is so much controversy over being a housewife and mother. There are those who believe that there is no Biblical reason that a mother should work outside the home, and if you do its because your priorities are not correct. I am not going to ask you whether or not you think I should be working. Mostly because I don't think any of you would actually tell me that you think I am sinning by working - even if that's what you believe. That said, I want to let you know that Max and I are working hard so that soon I will be home, taking care of KayLynn(maybe more), our home and my husband. We are making some major progress in that direction and our original goal (to be home by the time she was 5) is being shortened with each goal we reach and now we are hoping that I will be home by the time KayLynn is 3 (Summer 2011). So, please keep praying.

On to the subject at hand...

Do you do things in the home that help ends meet financially? Do you have ideas of things that mothers could do in the home to make money to help support their families? I strongly believe that the Proverbs 31 woman teaches us that we are to be industrious and provide for the home.

I can't wait to hear your ideas.