summer schedule | pad patter 7.30.19

We’re on a “normal” schedule around here. Our DD is off at college and our DS works in construction and has super crazy hours, so we hardly see him. My DH is off at scout camp this week so I get to sleep in if I can. But when we had school aged kids I dreaded the start of school. I’m so glad that’s all behind us!

 

The kids have been sick so we didn't have much of a schedule these past few weeks...but I'm hoping to get back into a more normal day-to-day schedule, even if it's just setting a regular wake time (for myself lol) and having one thing planned per day. Just last night DD said she wants to do something every day because she feels like the summer is flying by. (I feel like the days are draaaaaging, but I digress lol.) So I told her we can sit down with her brother and jot down their top To Do items and figure out a plan. They've still got like a month of summer break left, so there's still loads of time to have fun before "School comes along just to end it."

 

I am very much looking forward to the schedule of the school year. Melissa likes to game and she sleeps in and I'm getting SOOO bored. It's too hot to do much of anything here in Vegas, so we have some "play dates" (if you can call them that at 16), but for the most part we're alone.

 

schedule.....what’s that foreign concept?

 

I have taught at a community college for over 10 years. The program I teach is year round and yet some family members still act shocked when I don't get the summers off! Also, I've always worked mornings only until this summer. Now I usually work 3 mornings a week and 1 afternoon except for the weeks I'm subbing for an afternoon teacher, then I work 2 mornings and 2 afternoons....the whole morning/afternoon thing is really confusing my husband. I put my schedule on my google calendar and told him that he can ask Alexa what my schedule is!

 

"MOOOOOM, Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence......"

 

I'd say fly by the seat of my pants but I'm not even that organized/on schedule. My young dude has an ADHD related sleep ... thing (I can't remember the name off the top of my head and if I go look I'll just get sidetracked) that causes his sleep pattern to change from day to day - which means mine does as well. Most often I'm up until the wee hours with him, and then up as early as I can manage to take care of my mom. Add in that I homeschool and the concept of time and days is really skewed. I never know what day of the week it is :-D

 

We're pretty much doing the same things we always do.

 

I have the dog alarm. For awhile, in June, she was waking me up around 6am to go for a walk. We took her west to another time zone and that seems to have reset her. Now she is back to 7am. So to get all my sleep, I have to retire around 10pm. So for me, my schedule of sleep is pretty regular.

However, I suddenly have huge blocks of unused, unplanned time. I am trying to be better about being productive with things like cleaning, taking better care of myself, and working on projects. My scrapping mojo is pretty lame at the moment but when it cools off outside, I suspect it will pick up again.

But the rest of my family? They are up until 3am and sleep until noon. My husband is currently home since he got laid off. Second son is home, graduated from college, and looking for a job. The two of them need to get serious on the job hunt. The daughter is prepping for college in 2 weeks, so she really needs to work on getting her sleep patterns different. She has an 8am class 3 times a week.

 

Flying by the seat of my pants for sure. We just take each day and wing it! I don't ever really "sleep in". I'm up before 7 every day, but I do squeeze in an occasional nap I will miss those when school starts. Not really excited about going back to work, but I do tend to be ready to have more of a schedule.

 

We have to have a schedule since I work outside the home.

I have Mondays off so we run errands, visit my grandfather, go to the park, etc. those days. I try to schedule our day-trips (like picking strawberries) for that day as well so I don't have to use vacation days.

The kids go to the babysitter's Tuesday-Friday while I'm at work. I drop them off and pick them up. Evenings are dinner, play, showers, & bedtime. We have Family Dinner on Thursday nights so my mom picks them up early from the babysitter, & we eat at my parents' house. The kids had camp & visiting relatives in June and July but now that summer is winding down (they go back in 2 weeks), we don't have much on the calendar.

We take it easy most Saturday mornings, unless there is something going on, and save all the big household chores for that day. Sundays are for church & relaxing but sometimes activities and family celebrations.

 

I still have to work in the summer, but I don't have to work at 6:30 am like I do during the school year.... so I feel like I get to sleep in all summer with my 8-5 work hours. And the rest of the time we are flying by the seat of our pants, doing what we feel like. It's quite wonderful to have so much more freedom. The kids are home during the day. The 13 YO had 6 weeks of tennis lessons, but those are finished now so he's staying up late and sleeping in until noon and I let him. You don't get that luxury very long in life, so why not. The 15 YO has soccer practices in the evenings and works a couple days of the week, but the rest of the time I'm letting him set his own sleep schedule too. We all love summer around here! I know it'll take us a little while to get used to getting up early again, but for now we'll just enjoy not having to!

 

I work all summer (being self employed I don't get paid holidays and I work at home so its not a big deal) but go away for most wkends to our place in WA. Its relaxing when we are there, being amongst all the greenery and peacefulness, away from the noise and traffic (up the hill at an RV ranch) but it makes the wk busier b/c I only get 4 days/wk to get everything done at home that needs to be taken care of. Then on Sunday we come home and spend the day with Bailey. Definitely no time to be bored LOL. It's go.go.go time all summer long. Plus I fit in some photo walks and lots of hiking with Taz. Dinners tend to be super fast and easy in the summer so don't spend much time in the kitchen. BBQ's and salads for most dinners around here.

 

I've been trying for the past two weeks to get us back onto a sleep schedule and I'm so glad I did. My son was actually up this morning BEFORE my alarm went off at 8 am. Miracle of miracles! The tardy bell at the high school rings at 9:17 am, and it's seriously 5 minutes away from our house, so 8 am is plenty of time for him to get up, dress, eat breakfast, and have a chill moment before heading out.

But prior to this, he was staying up to 3 or 4 am and then sleeping all day. I hope he has enjoyed his summer because he has so few of them left before adulthood descends upon him. LOL

 

Oh I want summer so I can share in the unscheduled-ness!! but I also thinks it's going to be a super hot one this year so maybe not .. Hooray for Saturday sleep-ins !

 

Having a range of kids nobody really sleeps in here. My oldest 2 have been working a lot this summer so they haven't had time to really "sleep in"...plus they seem to be early birds like me. We do relax a little more in the morning. This past week I've been making all of the kids be up, dressed and eating bkfst by 8 and then starting a bit of school work at 9. We'll be back into our full schedules the end of next week. I like to slowly work our way back into a full schedule.

 

this is first time in years that i've had a full time job - so i'm missing my lazy summer days big time. one kid is out of the house and the other is off to college for the first time in a few weeks. nothing about this summer feels normal to me! but i'm going to have to learn to live with this new normal - i don't mind it so much in the winter/cooler months but man, i really feel all these changes in the summer.

good luck with the wedding planning Kayla! can't wait to see pics!