A Week in My Life--MONDAY

This is my master schedule, a week laid out all in writing. I stole this idea from my SIL Amy and I can't ever go back. I don't have to carry it around with me, it just stays on the fridge--since I go in the kitchen often during the day, I'm always reminded of things I have coming up. This will hopefully be the framework for my week; we'll see how it turns out in reality!

I worked today, which is unusual for a Monday. Since I also tutor on Monday afternoons, I don't usually take Monday sub jobs because it makes for a long day away from Bekah. But since I didn't sub at all last week, and I like to aim for 2 jobs a week, I had to make up for some missing days.

Up at 6:30 and get Bekah up at 7:00... or maybe she's already up (jabbering to herself and her doggy in her bed) and I have to polp her down in front of early morning cartoons while I get ready!

I have lots to pack in the diaper bag, including a day's worth of food and snacks. Thank goodness Daina (the world's best babysitter) also supplements with her own food because Bekah always mooches whatever her kids are eating!

Drop off the babe, then off to work. Don't worry, I won't chronicle the whole day with teenagers. They talk, I keep them as quiet as possible, I teach lessons, enforce rules, and repeat for 5 periods a day. No big mystery there. But here's a glimpse of the classroom I was in today, before the kids got there. Pretty typical view for a sub--lots of kid work on the walls, and stacks of papers on the teacher's desk!

On the drive to pick up Bekah today I was struck again by the pink trees that show up every Spring. This picture doesn't do them justice, but it's a wonderful surprise to see PINK on trees. They're scattered throughout the Valley here and I have to stare and smile every time I see one.

Also on the drive home I caught pictures of four of the five donut shops I passed. Did you know there were so many?! Well, LA and the surrounding cities have more donut shops than I have ever seen anywhere else, nearly one on every corner. Not that I've traveled all over the place, but it's so many I would place a serious bet that it's the most per capita in the entire U.S.  I don't usually care how many there are, just that I know the one that is closest to our house at all times!

I pick up Bekah around 5:15 after being away from her for nearly 10 hours--I'm continually surprised at how much I still miss her when we're apart for that long. Like I said, I don't like to work that many hours very often. When we get home, we have some down time. She plays or watches a show (it was "Kipper the Dog" today) and I hop on the computer. I check some blogs, facebook, and e-mail for 30 minutes of mindless distraction before thinking about what's for dinner.

With Malcom working evenings (5pm to 1am) I don't make as much as an effort for dinner as I used to. It was hard enough making a whole weekly menu plan and serious meals for 2.5 people, but for 1.5 it's even worse! Especially when I am pregnant and picky, and she's a toddler and picky. In any case, dinner is often nothing special. But after dinner tonight I was craving sweets and decided on chocolate chip cookies. It's been a while since I made some and it was definitely better than driving to Cinnabon in rush hour traffic.

Bekah helped too--she stirred and scooped some of the dry ingredients, then watched me do the rest. She was more than interested when I was done with the beaters and let her lick one. It took her a good 20 minutes to finish that thing and she was totally into it!

 I especially like the picture above because it shows her with her constant companion, doggy. Actually, she calls him "goggy" or "white goggy." He is her best friend and they have a really good time together. She gives him this high-pitched voice and talks for him. He asks for treats, gives me kisses when I'm hurt, and recently started singing along with me during bedtime songs. I love how she's given this toy it's own character and life. They have full conversations together too. Adorable!

After we had some cookies and milk, we did the usual bedtime routine: bathtime, brush hair & teeth, say prayers, read books, climb into bed, turn off the lights, and I sing songs.

My evening without Bekah (and without Malcom on week nights) goes from roughly 8pm until whenever I force myself to go to bed. Usually I'm here at the computer or watching TV. That sounds so bad, I know, and I'm trying to fix it. But I do love my TV shows (tonight it was Dancing With the Stars) and the computer offers endless sources of entertainment. I SHOULD be doing other things tonight... filling out insurance paperwork, finishing dishes (some still sitting there from Saturday--yikes!), general cleaning, organizing and unpacking the dang bedroom, etc. But I'm not. I might finish at least the dishes before bed, but maybe not. I don't push myself too hard at times, especially being pregnant.

We'll see if I'm motivated to keep posting this much every night. But for now, day one, I'm calling the project a success!