today was a pretty good day considering aubrey left for canada this morning. yep, another business trip. i feel like he just got home from the last one. i don't want to be one of those moms that complains all day long that life is so hard while daddy's out of town, so i'll stop here but just between you and me... it can be very hard. i think at times we take for granted just how helpful our husbands, fiances and partners are to us each day. i personally have been a single parent and definitely know how difficult that it is, but i do tend to forget at times. i completely admire the hard work and dedication single parents have.
today we got up, grabbed coffee and dropped papa off at the airport. i got lost on the way home which is kind of ridiculous since i have gps but i missed my turn. an easy thing to do in such a confusing city with a car full of kids. once we got home it was time to make breakfast and do morning chores. we home schooled while gemma napped and decided to go out for a special lunch (jack in the box...ha!) and then did a little thrifting. i scored some great linens including the smurf sheets that were on my bed as a child, some great children's records, a fisher price happy apple and a bunch of vintage christmas ornaments. have i ever told you that i get weak in the knees for old christmas decor? well, now you know.
afterwards we came home, gemma went down for nap number two and we finished home schooling for the day. then it was time for afternoon chores followed by playtime, grocery shopping, dinner (we had fondue) and showers before bed. whew! long day. now here i am typing away, sharing my whirlwind with you. now i have a question for all of you hard workers, mamas, papas, students and multi-taskers... what are your top three or four successful actions to staying productive, staying sane and keeping on schedule? i need a new system or at least a few new tips and ideas. the only three things that i make sure to get done each and every day are home schooling, feeding the kids and gemma's sleep schedule. everything else may or may not get done. i would love to hear how all of you do what you do whether your a mom or not. we are all busy and i think it would be great to share a little bit about what works for us. feel free to share below and thank you.
i know that i personally learned a great tip recently in getting the kiddos to contribute around the house more by rachel from letters to ames. i now give my kids a mandatory chore each day and then let them chose voluntary chores that have a cash value (or in our case, a mom buck value) and it has been working wonders. the kids are loving doing their part and earning a few more bucks in the process to put towards extra privileges or the toy store. i look forward to hearing some of the things that work for all of you.
okay... it's 11:34 pm. i want to sit down and sew right now SO badly, but i need to sleep or else i'll be a mess tomorrow. i wish there was more time in the day. xo.