I wasn’t going to post today, but I’m inspired by The SHU Box’s blogging streak…
The temperatures dipped into the low 50s this morning. With some mottled color on the leaves, it’s beginning to look and feel like fall!
I’m sitting down at my desk at 8:30 a.m. It’s already been a long morning, though mostly a good one. Here’s what transpired.
5 a.m. — up on own. Sigh. Try to fall back asleep but it doesn’t work. I went to bed at 10:15 p.m. though, so I actually don’t need any more sleep. I read in bed for a while.
5:38 — door opens, alarm goes off. Expected! My husband took the red-eye home from the west coast last night, and they must have gotten in quite early. He drove home. We chat for 10 minutes or so before he takes a nap.
5:55-6:10 — 4-year-old up and snuggling with me. Quite cute. Then he asks to go watch YouTube. I set him up with some leftover pancakes, cheese, and an apple-mango-carrot squeeze packet. Breakfast of champions.
6:10-6:35 — putter around getting in exercise clothes, reading headlines and blogs, waiting for enough light to feel safe running in our (sidewalk-less) neighborhood.
6:35-7:05 — run outside (day #998) as the sun rises (6:43). Nice and cool, lovely running weather. Just a bit of fall color. I always love running outside, and love when it works out to do a morning run in the middle of the week. Originally I was going to be solo this morning (husband was taking the red-eye to DC, so I’d have to run on the treadmill or later in the day) but this change in plans opens up possibility.
7:05-7:10 – make coffee (and check on 4-year-old…who is still happily watching YouTube)
7:10-7:20 – shower, dress. Husband also back up.
7:20-8:10 – family breakfast in sequence with everyone. First with the 12-year-old (picked up by carpool at 7:55) and 4-year-old, then with the 9-year-old and 7-year-old. This is quite a bit of time to devote to a morning meal, but it was nice to chat with everyone and to linger over my coffee and eggs and the two rounds of bacon made because demand was higher than anticipated. Nanny arrives at 8 a.m.
8:10-8:25 – work – mostly email. Theoretically I should be doing my weight-lifting routine during this window but that did not happen.
8:25-8:30 – elementary-school aged kids to the bus stop. Then it’s back in to start the work day!
Much room for improvement, I’m sure, but it’s always nice to start a weekday with reading, a run, and family breakfast.
Can I ask why you have your son watch YouTube and not something on a streaming service where you can have more control over what he sees? As a teacher who is nervous to post my own videos on YouTube for my kids to watch at home because I can’t control what comes up next, I’ve always been curious about your 4yo watching it by himself for periods of time.
@Noemi- we let him watch it because it’s what holds his attention. We’ve tried the TV and setting up shows, and he is often then running around the house and getting into trouble. Whereas with YouTube he will click on something new if he’s bored. I’ve spent enough time in the same room with him (prepping meals for instance) while he’s watching and I’ve not seen anything terrible yet. Doesn’t mean it can’t happen but so far it has been OK.
Sounds like a lovely fall morning! Posts like this are my favorite. Also, side note, but your 4 year olds breakfast us gourmet compared to mine (typically mini muffins and cereal bar or yogurt and granola if I’m lucky) 🙂
@Lori C – ha, at least it wasn’t cheezits. That has happened! We are working with a rather minimal range…
I noticed your elementary school kids got dropped at the bus stop between 8:25-8:30. Just curious: what time does the school day start? Start times vary a bit here from school to school, but it’s usually between 8:00 and 8:15. My own son’s school (which is also where I teach) starts at 8:00 for all grades PreK3 to 8th grade.
@Gisela – we are fortunate in that it starts later around here (though H.S. and middle school are earlier – probably not the way this should be with kid sleep schedules!). Elementary school starts at 9, as does the pre-K. Middle school starts 8:15. Since we are 1 mile from the elementary school and about 2.5 from the middle school, this allows for very civilized waking times.
Glad to see it took you 25 minutes to put on your work out clothes! My alarm is set for 6:40 and I never get on to the actual exercise before 7am (and often later). All I do is put on some track suit bottoms and a sports bra and make tea. Somehow these things sound like non-activities which shouldn’t take up any time, but they do! Do you have a name for them? That would help, I feel. I don’t want to say I’m ‘pottering’ as this sounds too pleasant and not dynamic enough. Is there even a category that these things belong to? If so how much time do we spend on them typically in a week I wonder?