just another manic monday

I snapped some shots on my iphone as I went through my day yesterday, so you can get a feel for a typical Monday around here.

At least 3 days a week, I get up at around 5 am and head to Jazzercise. The class starts at 5:40 and lasts for an hour. There's nothing like a little "Turning Japanese" to start the morning.


And, it's cold!


I walk back in the door a few minutes before 7, in time to feed Avery (and Hannah if she's up) breakfast, make lunches, fix hair and send Avery out the door with Jeff no later than 7:30.


7:45 and Ethan has his first meltdown of the day because I gave him the juice he requested instead of the milk that he now wants...


Jeff and Avery are gone and the little kids have been fed so I finally have a chance for a much-needed cup of coffee mixed with a generous amount of creamer.


8:00 am and the first load of laundry goes in. See my new washer and dryer? Aren't they pretty? I surprised myself by not purchasing a front-loader pair. But when the salesman at Home Depot showed the the size of the washtub on this washer, I was sold! It's huge! I can fit all of the kids sheets in one load and all of their towels in another!


Then, I remember to plug in the Christmas tree.


After dropping Hannah at school at 9, I head back home and steal a few minutes for myself at the computer checking email and Facebook. I look over at my dogs laying in the sun and think that it must be pretty nice to be a dog...



After lunch, Ethan lines up his cars before heading off for his nap.


And, I fold some laundry...


Now that Ethan is down for a nap, I finally have time for a shower (just 6 short hours after my workout). I am trying out these Whitestrips in an effort to a) avoid the dentist's office for professional whitening stuff and b) avoid paying an arm and a leg for the aforementioned professional whitening stuff. I actually think they are working!


After I pick up Hannah at 2 and then Avery at 2:45, I head out with my entourage to do some shoe shopping. Avery came out of school on Friday with her sneakers literally falling apart. We had no time to shop over the weekend, so today was the day!


We also stopped in at Target and picked up a hat and some mittens for Ethan who surprised me by wanting to wear them after we got home. Probably won't be able to get them on him again...


5:00 and I am just now getting around to looking through Avery's backpack. There are various things to sign each day and assignments to do. Blah.


The girls amuse themselves by playing dress up and dancing all through the house while I make dinner.


During dinner we burn our Christmas candle. I remember having one on our table as a kid and when I mentioned it to my dad, he was kind enough to track down some for us to have at our table. He had them shipped all the way from England!


Thankfully, tonight is not bath night so after dinner Jeff plays with the little kids while I work with Avery on her research paper for her piano class. Then, it's upstairs for jammies and bedtime stories. After the kids are tucked in, I do a bit of this and that and then head off to bed myself. I have a book on my nightstand that I can usually manage to read about 4 pages of before I fall asleep. It's not the book, it's that I am exhausted! And, I will wake up and do it all again tomorrow (except maybe with less laundry).