Ever wonder how my day goes during the week, well wonder no more. Here's a little insight into my everyday routine being a stay at home mom and full time writer. (And thanks to my post's title the song 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin' by Loretta Lynn is stuck in my head. It fits perfectly.)
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First of all, let me say that I am definitely not a morning person and neither are either of my daughters. It makes getting all of us up for school an ordeal unlike any other. There are alarms for other alarms. We even have an alarm to remind us it's time to leave. When we all do manage to get up it's a scramble to get dressed and get fed before we're rushing out the door. I swear that 8 o'clock leave time comes way too quickly.
As you can see my phone is full of alarms. Alarms to wake up. Alarms to get my butt moving, and alarms to leave. I know that if I leave at a certain time I'll get to my destination at the correct time. I pride myself on never being late to drop my girls off for school or when picking them up.
While other moms are putting their kids on buses I drive mine to school. It's a twenty minute ride there and a twenty minute ride back home. The plus side is the beautiful scenery that we get to see along the way. Most of our rides to school are pretty quiet but my oldest loves to sing along with the radio. As you can see the four lane highway we travel is pretty empty. I hardly ever have to go any slower than the speed limit. I might have to watch out for crossing deer but after living in Chicago I realize how fortunate I am. I love not having to fight traffic. (My daughter took the pictures of our drive to and from school over my shoulder since I despise using my phone while driving. We had a nice discussion about that both times. It's never too early to teach them to use technology safely.)
Coming back Home
Once I get back home my goats and chickens demand my attention. Like my goats literally yell at me as I exit the car. They're only happy and quiet once they're fed. These lovely pygmy goats are Bae-Bae, Buckie, Rayne, and May. Once I'm done outside with the chores that need done every morning I move back into the house. The second I'm inside all of the indoor pets demand my attention. Kitties get fed, puppy dogs get fed and let outside to go potty. The bunny gets fed, and fresh water is distributed to everyone.
Who doesn't like a nice cup of hot chocolate?
Once everyone is happy I finally get to sit down, if only for a moment. I don't drink coffee but I do have a morning ritual of drinking a cup of hot chocolate mixed with a breakfast essentials pack. Since I skip breakfast this is the next best thing. Mind you, I don't usually get to sit down until around 9:30 or 10:00.
While drinking my hot chocolate I bring out my laptop and check stats for the day while sitting on the couch. I put together necessary posts and whatnot. Most days I'm terrible at this and I end up putting it off until later in the day.
This is where some of the magic is made. I just got my desk early September so I've been spending a lot of time here. And yes, it's always this clean. I can't stand clutter. Everything has to have it's place or I get a bit crazy.
As you can see I'm never alone at my desk. The second I leave my chair someone is always stealing it. That little darling on my chair is my special kitty, Sweetie. She absolutely adores me and has to be near me at all times. She also leaps into my arms and loves to give hugs and kisses.She's got some of the most beautiful blue eyes. Unfortunately, you can't see them very well in this picture.
As soon as my hot chocolate is gone I get back to it. I do what needs to be done around the house to keep it in order. In between tasks I sit down and write. Sometimes I get a few sentences and other times I get a chapter out. I try to do my best to schedule out housework so that I'm not overwhelming myself. There's a fine line that I walk to keep everything running smoothly. Some days I take this time to catch up on sleep. Since I stay up so late at night I need this time in order to function.
When it's time to pick up my kids from school I leave early. I bring my laptop and a pop along. If I get to school early I get a great spot in the line of cars waiting to pick up students. I've learned that if I don't get this great spot my kids believe I'm leaving them at school. The last time I was slightly late I had both of them crying as they exited the building. I felt terrible and vowed never to let that happen again. So, I get to school forty minutes before dismissal. During this forty minutes I sip on my pop and pull out my laptop to get some more work done. Usually, I can type out at least a page before I have to put my things away. Trust me it helps the time pass by quickly.
The ride back home from school is always lively. I get stories about how their days went. We sing and tell jokes along the way. Sometimes we take the back roads home. It takes a few minutes longer to get home but the kids love seeing the horses, cows, and other critters along the way. Once we're home it's time to unpack book bags, time for a snack, and then time for homework. I found getting homework done sooner rather than later in the day is best. Of course when it comes to math papers those wait until daddy comes home. He's the math wiz in our house. I'm terrible with math. Don't get me started on the common core math, ugh.
(Again, my daughter took the picture. I think she did a fantastic job.)
A Moment to Breathe
Once everyone is finished with homework I get to sit down for a break again. I usually snack on something quickly before I'm back up getting dinner ready. I always try to time it just right for when the hubby gets home.
These things are the best. I'm a great cook but let's be honest sometimes it's a pain to prepare meals. When I'm not feeling it I pop one of these baby's into the oven and walk away. Thankfully everyone in this house gets excited for these meals. Sometimes they even request them.
Things get easier after dinner. I relax with the hubby and kids for a little while before I begin getting things ready for the next day. I pack lunches for everyone and then help the girls pick out outfits for the next day.
Before long it's bed time. My husband puts the kids to bed every night and then sits with me for a little while before going to bed himself. He wakes up super early for work so he gets sleepy pretty quickly.
This is how I spend most of my nights. I sit on my comfy couch while watching Netflix. Can anyone guess what I'm watching tonight? Here's an easy hint: (You have to sing it) ' Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead... '
Did you figure it out? It's Pretty Little Liars!!
I either spend my time watching some of my favorite shows while writing or I plug my headphones into my phone and listen to some music. It gets pretty quiet here at night while the hubby and kids are sleeping so between 10pm and 3am is when I get the bulk of my work done.
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So, there you have it. That's a typical day for me. Of course there's a lot that fills the space between but I doubt anyone wants to see pictures of me mopping floors and scrubbing toilets. Doing what I love is the best, even if it doesn't mean my life isn't as exciting as the characters in my books.
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Raven K. Asher