A typical day at our house

Here is a typical day and routine at our house when we aren’t going anywhere:

On a typical day, Tim works 6am-3pm. Cedric wakes up at about 7:30, which wakes me up, and we usually first sit on the futon in his room and nurse and take a few minutes to really wake up. Then it’s time to change his diaper and get him out of his PJs and into some real clothes. We head next to Tim’s and my room so I can get dressed and make the bed. While I’m doing that, Cedric just plays in his room or ours. The bathroom is next where we brush our teeth and I freshen up. We both head out to the living room to “wake up the house” and open the shades. I usually check the e-mail and news for a few minutes and then it’s time for breakfast. After breakfast, Cedric always heads outside to play in our little fenced yard while I clean up the kitchen listening to the Christian radio programs. I like to spend a little more time on the computer when the kitchen is clean and then we usually fill the time with things such as laundry, various house cleaning, and playing. I almost always have the Christian radio playing in the background. Cedric usually will play by himself very well for a fair amount of time but he does need periodic check-ins and pit stops as well as to have somebody else to play with for a while. Around 10:30 he is usually getting tired so I tie him on my back with my Storchenweige wrap and we go for a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. He usually falls asleep during the last 10 minutes of the walk and doesn’t wake up as I put him down when we get home. Sometimes I’ll do 20 minutes of pilates while he sleeps. Every other day instead of going for a walk and doing pilates I usually nurse him to sleep and then do 45 minutes of Tae Bo during his nap. Of course, this exercise routine happens on good days (which are the majority) but other days I’ll nap while he naps. : ) Cedric sleeps for about an hour and we have lunch very soon after he wakes. The rest of the afternoon is spent doing more of the chore/play combo. We like to spend as much time outside as possible. Tim usually works an hour overtime (until 4pm) and then calls to say he’s heading home. That phone call is nice because the 30 minutes it takes him to get home gives me time to straighten the house and clean Cedric and I up. I like to look nice when Tim comes home and I know a clean baby and house are very welcoming to him as well. It's got to help encourage Tim's appreciation for what I do, too. I am a "homemaker", so I make a home. I am a "family manager", so I do my best at managing. : ) Cedric is always very excited to see his daddy when he gets home. We usually sit for 10 minutes or so sharing anything interesting about our days and then I usually begin school work. Tim plays with Cedric and often takes him for a walk in the stoller. I get in about 1-1/2 to 2 hours of work in before 6 or 6:30 and then I stop to make dinner. Cedric usually eats right before our dinner is ready and then sits with us while we eat, nibbling from our plates. At about 7:15 Tim takes a shower with Cedric (he hardly takes baths anymore) and I dry him and get him in his PJs. Tim helps Cedric gather his blanket, binkie, and to pick out a book and then reads to him. When they are finished, I take Cedric to nurse him to sleep. He’s usually asleep by 8 or 8:30. Sometimes Tim and I watch a movie together after Ced’s in bed but other times Tim plays World of Warcraft while I make his lunch for the next day (if I hadn’t already made it while also making dinner), take a shower myself, and read a book in bed. I can usually count on Cedric waking up at least twice during the night.

So there is a typical stay-at-home day for us. I try to keep a schedule for Cedric's sake since I've heard it's especially beneficial for little boys to have a predictable schedule.