Welcome to Day 5 of Blogtober- a day within the life. Learn on to search out out what a typical, weektime “day within the life” is like for me (disclaimer: it’s not very thrilling and a bit longwinded sorry!):
7am
I attempt to rise up at 7am on the newest. I ought to rise up earlier actually however I’m not an early hen. As I’ll little question have been up till just a few hours earlier I at all times wrestle when it’s time to rise up. Each morning, I really feel drained and may’t wait to return to mattress. I look wistfully at my slippers, considering I can’t anticipate it to be time to slide them on once more. I vow to go to mattress earlier (however by no means do…). Each morning, I want my mum and sisters a Good Morning on Messenger and we have now a fast “chat”. This may proceed all through the day till our final “Goodnight” earlier than mattress.
Espresso
The very first thing I do is put the kettle on. Then, I do my contact lenses, have a fast wash or bathe and dress for the day. Typically, I’ve to queue for the toilet for ages, so I attempt to rise up first or I find yourself crossing my legs! I come downstairs and make my morning cup of espresso. If there’s a full load of washing, I’ll put it on. We really solely have decaffeinated espresso at house however the placebo impact makes me really feel extra awake. I’ve a glass of water too to rehydrate from my night time’s sleep. I want to eat breakfast then however I can’t handle it earlier than the varsity run. I brush my hair and pin it up, if I’ve time and I’m going someplace through the day, I’ll put some make-up on. I rapidly test emails and reply to something pressing.
Getting the Children Prepared
Now the youngsters are older, I don’t need to bodily get them prepared anymore, aside from serving to with their hair at times. My job now could be to shout and holler and customarily velocity them upon to get them out of the home on time and with every thing they want. Some days that is simpler than others. Rebecca likes to be early for varsity, whereas Caitlyn likes to go as late as she presumably can so it’s arduous getting them out of the home on the similar time.
INR Check
A couple of occasions every week, Danny has to do his INR take a look at within the morning to check his coagulation as he’s on warfarin. He has a house take a look at so he does the take a look at and tells Dave and me the consequence for us to ring the hospital, which saves him having to ring from school. In some unspecified time in the future within the day, they then ring us again along with his new warfarin dose for the week.
The Faculty Run
Danny makes his means out the door to the bus cease to get the bus to school. I say bye to Izzy now as she walks to high school simply throughout the highway from us after I’ve left with the older ladies. I then drive the women to their secondary faculty. This could take about 10 minutes, however you understand with faculty site visitors and site visitors lights, some days it takes ages so we at all times attempt to depart early. Within the automobile, we take turns selecting songs and all of us sing alongside.
Errands
After the varsity run, generally I pop to the chemist, put up workplace or store if I’ve some errands to run (normally I’ve to attend for locations to open because it’s nonetheless early). If wanted, I’ll give Dave a raise to work. When he’s working domestically, he prefers to stroll. because it wakes him up.
9.30am /10am House Once more.
Exercise?
Final faculty 12 months and through the holidays, I used to be doing every day “Lucy Wyndham-Learn” exercises after the varsity run. Penning this put up has jogged my memory that I haven’t began once more because the children went again to high school in September! Oops! I gave myself the primary week off to ease myself into the back-to-school routine. I actually need to begin exercising once more as in any other case I simply spend a number of my day at a desk and get so unfit and torpid.
Now I put the kettle on once more and have one other cuppa and my breakfast. I’m going by phases of both having Weetabix (nicely Tesco’s model), porridge, in a single day oats or toast and a banana. Whichever I’ve, I’ll have for weeks and weeks at a time. Whereas consuming breakfast, I would write an inventory, browse emails, take heed to a coaching video (for instance free running a blog, getting organised or decluttering course) or watch a Fb Stay. Typically, if I’m drained or poorly I watch Netflix, however then I’ve to recollect to cease watching and begin my work for the day!
Life Admin
Earlier than I settle to work, I normally find yourself doing a bit little bit of life admin and chores. If, I’ve put a load of washing on, then by now it’s completed so I’ll grasp on the road on a dry day or on the airer if it’s moist. I hate having to dry garments indoors, it by no means dries the identical. I’ll refill the hen feeders whereas I’m exterior too. Typically, letters, emails or telephone calls come in regards to the children, so I take care of them, put up and pay payments, make appointments and so forth.
Work
Lastly, it’s time to settle all the way down to work. I was a instructor. Then, once I had my youngest, I began running a blog for enjoyable. I began getting supplied paid alternatives so ultimately, it grew to become my means of constructing a residing. If I’ve a piece deadline, I begin that first. This will contain taking or enhancing pictures, writing a put up, writing for an additional web site, creating social media content material, making a video or establishing a contest. I’ll additionally test my emails for incoming work that day. If I’ve a quiet morning, I ship off proposals to search out extra work, so there’s at all times one thing to do.
Ideally, I’d prefer to get my paid work performed, apply for alternatives, after which have free time to jot down up extra private and days-out posts, however I do wrestle with this. I find yourself writing extra phrases for different individuals’s websites than I do my very own.
1pm Lunch
On Wednesdays, I normally attempt to exit for lunch with mum. If we go someplace new, I weblog about it to assist different locals discover out the place to eat out as a vegan in Pembrokeshire. On different days, if I’m too busy I skip lunch (unintentionally). However most days I do attempt to have a fast break to eat. I used to be having primarily salads, corresponding to vegan feta cheese, beetroot and walnut salad (scrumptious). Now the climate’s cooling, I’m beginning to have sizzling meals for lunch- corresponding to leftovers heated up from the night time earlier than, soup or “one thing on toast”.
After lunch, I’ll clear up and test the garments on the road and so forth.
Afternoon Working
I discover after lunch the time goes too rapidly. I’ve a productive morning and really feel like my day goes nicely however these previous couple of hours of working at all times slip away too rapidly. I at all times hope that I’ll get some night time to work too however as a substitute as soon as I decide the youngsters up that’s when my day tends to go loopy.
3pm Decide Up Time
As I discussed earlier, Izzy’s faculty is shut sufficient for her to stroll house. Nonetheless, most weekdays (aside from Fridays as that’s a half faculty day in Wales) I decide her up within the automobile and drive to the opposite facet of the varsity as a result of we then go to choose her older sisters up and there’s much less site visitors to get by. I depart the home earlier than 3pm so I can get a parking area. I’ll deliver my laptop computer and work whereas I anticipate her. If I’m drained I’ll have a fast scroll on social media as a substitute. When Izzy will get to the automobile she at all times checks if I’ve remembered her snack or not- it’s a bit hit or miss! When the youngsters had been youthful, I’d at all times deliver fruit and selfmade flapjacks and so forth, now I simply seize the primary appropriate snack I discover! Ooh, I would begin placing a lunchbox stuffed with snacks for the week on the above driver shelf within the automobile so I solely have to recollect on Mondays!
The older ladies stroll throughout from their faculty and go to Nice Gran’s home. It is a beautiful probability for them to get to see her every day. I decide them up from right here. We now have a very good chat with Nice Gran. She provides the older ladies snacks whereas they anticipate me. Then, we drop Rebecca’s good friend house and normally pop to Tescos (different good supermarkets can be found however that is the one in my city lol). On our free days (normally Tuesdays), Izzy generally walks to the park together with her pals and we meet her house after.
4.30pm/5pm House Time
As soon as house, the women need to kind their uniforms, faculty luggage, lunchboxes and faculty letters. We both have a fast snack and go straight to after-school golf equipment or I begin making tea after which we have now tea earlier than going out. Ideally, I’d like to arrange tea through the day so I solely need to warmth up and serve at teatime, however as a rule I don’t. So it’s a rush cooking, consuming and clearing up. I favor to clear up earlier than we go to golf equipment and coaching however this is dependent upon how we get on time-wise. Typically, Danny comes house a bit later so then he heats his up as soon as house. We are able to eat collectively throughout our free evenings.
Monday Night
Each night is completely different. An instance of our present Monday night is the women go to Guides and Rangers 6pm – 7.30pm. The three of them are actually in the identical Guiding Unit, which is a lot simpler for me. At one level, I had a Rainbow, a Brownie and a Information in numerous models. Drop-off and pick-ups had been fairly sophisticated then, however Mum helped to make it attainable.
As soon as I’ve dropped them off, if I haven’t cleared up but, I do it throughout this time. I clear and wipe the desk (the youngsters’ job on the times we’re not speeding for golf equipment), wash up (I depart the wiping up and placing away for them to do), clear surfaces and put the vacuum cleaner round. Then I kind any laundry that wants doing if any garments are nonetheless on the road or want folding and sorting.
I check out the calendar for the subsequent day so I do know if any PE, swimming or membership package or uniform is required.
Time goes quick and all of a sudden it’s time to choose the women up once more. Normally, after Guides we’d decide Dave up and are available house. Now Caitlyn’s soccer coaching has moved to 8pm-9pm on a Monday. So, I’ll decide the women up, drop my niece Cerys house, drop my ladies house so Rebecca can revise or do homework, after which take Caitlyn to soccer (after a fast change within the automobile).
I deliver my laptop computer to soccer coaching so I can get some work performed and likewise keep watch over her coaching from the automobile. I fairly like these occasions once I get almost a full hour to sit down and work with no distractions, the one downside is I get stressed legs sitting nonetheless for a very long time!
9.15pm House
Hopefully, coaching will end on time and we’ll be house by about 9.15pm. Poor Caitlyn doesn’t get a lot free time on Monday evenings, however on different weeknights, she does get free time, which she would possibly spend watching a collection or on the Ps. As soon as house, she’ll get showered and in her PJs. As she’ll have burnt off a number of vitality she might need a snack. Then I’ll test that Danny has had his meds and that the women have all packed their luggage prepared for the subsequent day.
If they’ve a membership the subsequent day, I’ll remind them to test that every thing is prepared for that (in any other case they’ll come to me simply earlier than it’s time to go away saying they will’t discover one thing and so forth which can drive me loopy!).
We even have Tuesday and Wednesday evenings free in the meanwhile. I at all times suppose it will imply we’ll have extra beautiful household time but it surely normally simply means I enable myself firstly to come back in and sit down on the sofa for a number of moments (the one downside is when you sit down, it’s arduous to get going once more, isn’t it? However it’s so good to not need to rush for a change), extra time to prepare dinner tea, time to eat extra leisurely and since there’s no stress on, I take my time cleansing up-so there’s not a lot additional time actually however it’s good to have these two evenings at house. Izzy likes to go to the park, and play video games or crafts and Rebecca normally will get fairly inventive, making jewelry and so forth and he or she loves the PS too. They’ll all watch infinite movies on Youtube, little question.
On Thursday evenings, Rebecca volunteers at Neyland Brownies as she’s coaching for her Younger Leaders. The ladies, mum and I attempt to go for a stroll down Neyland Marina whereas she’s there. This may finish when it’s too darkish after which I’ll spend this time sorting our bins as a substitute as they get collected Friday morning- exciting-haha! On Fridays, we go to Mum’s home for lunch and the afternoon (thanks, Mum!) and Caitlyn has County Soccer coaching.
Mattress Time
My children have by no means had a “set in stone” bedtime. It is dependent upon what time we get house for the night, get every thing performed and a little bit of free time and prepared for mattress. Even when the youthful children had been infants, they needed to include me to choose the youngsters up from golf equipment and so forth so wouldn’t be put to mattress till we had been all house. So some nights are earlier and a few are later. It’s by no means been a difficulty in any respect for us aside from when individuals ask “What time is your little one’s bedtime?” and I can solely give a longwinded reply! However all of them sleep nicely and so they all modify nicely after they need to have a very late night time or very early morning for a faculty journey or travelling and so forth so this has simply been the way in which that works for us.
Simply earlier than mattress, I’ll take heed to Izzy learn a few of her faculty e-book or if she’s learn it to herself she’ll come and inform me about her chapter. If Rebecca struggled with any work whereas I used to be out at soccer, she’ll come and ask me about it now and we’ll go over it. Then, I plait Izzy’s hair (the older ladies have grown out of this now) and so they’ll clear their enamel and go to mattress.
Free time?
Even when it’s actually late by the point the youngsters go to mattress, I have to have some downtime earlier than I take into consideration going to mattress myself. If there’s no pressing work pending, then I’ll both cuddle up on the couch with Dave and watch a collection collectively or if he’s already watching one thing, I’ll put Netflix on the laptop computer or learn and so forth. Normally, Dave will rise up and provide me a brew, which I actually admire at this level within the day. Throughout Blogtober, this time will likely be spent writing every day posts, I anticipate! 🙂
Ultimately, will probably be time for us to prepare and go to mattress. I find it irresistible when all the youngsters are house in mattress protected and I’m snuggled up with Dave. Time to loosen up… Then we rise up and do all of it once more the subsequent day… the times actually do run into one another, don’t they?
That is an instance of a regular day within the week however after all each week these pop-up. This week, for instance, I’ve faculty conferences, a funeral, Rebecca’s sixteenth birthday and press night time at our native theatre. So no day or week is absolutely the identical.
What does a typical day seem like for you?
