A Day in the Life
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What does a typical day for this Classic Housewife look like? Well, we don’t really have a strict routine.. I don’t really like strict routines. 
So…
Rule #1: Flexibility is key.
On the other hand, without any routine I flop around like a dying fish. Pretty. I know. I need SOME kind of order to my day.
Rule #2: A loose schedule is a good thing.
So we get up in the morning, around 8. I try to be up around then. I’m not really a morning person either. We eat, see Big Daddy off to work and get some morning chores done.
Rule #3: Sleeping in feels nice at the time but steals away time for morning chores.
Sometime between 10 and 11 we’ll start school. At first all three kids sit down at the table, but after about an hour Little Prince has long lost interest in his coloring and Drama Queen has finished her smaller load of work. So we break for lunch and then the two little ones lay down to watch a movie in the girls’ room – giving Princess at least an hour and a half to work in peace.
Rule #4: Keep lunch simple. It’s important to move quickly into the “quiet phase.”
Often I can get some things done while the two littles lay down and in between helping Princess with her school work. And then we gotta get some afternoon putting away done before it’s time to start on supper. I never know when Big Daddy is going to get home and I don’t want the house to look too bad when he gets home.
Rule #5: When homeschooling 3 young children, multiple “pick up times” are a necessity!
I like to cook from scratch a lot so I have to remember to get started on supper pretty early. This is where planning a menu comes in handy – it can help me stay on top of what meat to pull out of the freezer, etc. I also find it satisfying and delicious to make things like homemade tortillas. But they take a while so I have to keep an eye on the clock.
Rule #6: Planning ahead is soooo important.
After supper I try to be good and diligent about putting leftovers away and rinsing the dishes. I’m forgetful that way. It’s also the time to be thinking ahead about bedtime and getting all their showers in. Sometimes, though, in good weather, the kids like to play outside after supper. I often give in.
Rule #7a: All work and no play is, well.. no fun.
Rule #7b: It takes longer to get three kids ready for bed than you think it will.
If at all possible, I get the kids in bed “on time” even though I know they won’t be asleep “on time” and will be pulling out all the stops and trying all the delay tactics known to man child. “After bedtime” is my MAIN productive time. I can get some good cleaning time in the kitchen while watching a show or listening to a podcast on my Mac. While the dishwasher runs I can get in some good blogging time, too.
Rule #8: Combining work and play can make the work more fun.
It helps that my husband is also a night owl so that I’m not neglecting him in anyway! Still, whenever he comes in from the office I try to stop what I’m doing and shut things down. I don’t want him to think he’s less important than blogging or tv shows do I?
Rule #9: Priorities are..well.. PRIORITIES.
I’m often up till midnight or later. (Could be why I sleep in till 8 or later.) But I try to keep an eye on the clock. I know my limits, and I’m good with 7 hours of sleep. Any less, I’m a mess. Not getting enough sleep only leads to not being productive enough the next day. Whenever and wherever I can throughout my day, I try to worship and spend time with God as much as possible. This is something I need to do more of. Bottom line for my day is serving God and glorifying him. It’s the thing I come back to throughout the day, and the thing I dwell on as I drift off to sleep.
