Matt is in school, his last semester- HALLELUJAH! Which puts him gone from about 7:30 am to 10:00 pm, 3 days a week. Then he has homework and a heavy load at work which he is usually working on during his "spare" time at home. He is also the Ward Clerk, so his Sundays are full of meetings. We basically never see him- a few hours on Monday and Friday nights, and every other Saturday, if we are lucky. I'd say I feel like a single mother, but his support and love is so much more than single mothers have. I'm lucky to be able to sleep by him, and have a husband who loves and cares for his family. His sacrifices to be in school and working full time just show us how much he loves us. Matt has been doing a temporary management job at work, filling in for his manager who was on maternity leave. So it has made his work busier and more difficult. He is done with that now, and has stepped back down to his own team. His reviews on his job as acting manager were great, so we are hoping that will help him be able to be promoted when the time comes, which we are hoping will be in the near future.
Even thinking about writing about my schedule gives me a bit of anxiety. A typical day for me has been beginning at 5:00 am, and ending when Matt gets home, so I can see him long enough to give him a good night kiss and try to be to bed before 10:30. Ruby is sleeping mostly through the night, waking up at 5 to eat, and going back to sleep. If it weren't for that, I think I'd definitely have lost it by now. I have been training for a half marathon, so after I feed Ruby, I've been heading to the treadmill to run. After a quick run, I get home in time to get Sydney up for school at 6:45. Help her get ready and out the door by 7:30, and then on Monday and Wednesdays, I have exactly one hour to get myself, Cooper, and Ruby ready and fed and out the door to the babysitter and, Cooper and I head to preschool. Then I teach preschool until noon, (15 4-year olds in a little room) and I pick Ruby up and feed her again before making lunch for the rest of us. On Tuesday and Thursdays, I am in charge of carpool, so I will try to get some laundry in during the morning time before I leave to pick up Sydney from Kindergarten at 10:30. I'm also in charge of carpool on Fridays and have a meeting on Friday mornings, so I stay busy every morning. Afternoons are busy with helping Sydney with homework and piano practicing, and feeding Ruby some more. And once in a while I try to sneak in a quick nap. Afternoons fly by, and before I know it, it is time for me to do dinner, which is usually something very lame since Matt's gone, like a box of Macaroni and Cheese. Sometimes I find enough time to clean up dinner, but typically it is late enough to get the kids ready for bed. We get ready, read the Book of Mormon, sing songs, nurse Ruby again, and then I crash- usually looking at Instagram, Facebook, or reading the news on my phone. Sometimes I can drag myself downstairs to clean up dinner. I also am in the Primary Presidency, so I have sharing time preparation, presidency meetings, and preparing for baptisms or other various meetings to add to the schedule. Not to mention all of my preschool prep and trying to keep my business running and be a good teacher (a full time job in and of itself). I technically am in a book club, which I never read the book, nor can I ever go to because I don't have a babysitter and Matt is at school. And my arthritis has been very bad this winter, which is especially hard because I am limited to only trying to manage the pain with minimal medications since I am nursing. I actually have decided, that I am going to drop out of the half marathon, a lot because I just don't have the time to train, and a little because I have been so sore from my arthritis that it is hard to run. So that should ease my schedule a little bit. I've also had some personal trials that have taken a lot of time and energy over the past couple of years. Plus just adjusting to having 3 kids. Add holidays, doctor appointments, and all the other things mom's deal with, and I'm pretty beat.
Sydney is doing so well in Kindergarten. She loves school so much and is, of course, friends with everyone. She has so many "best friends," I've lost track of them. She is advanced for her reading, and goes to a 3rd grade classroom for instruction in reading. This is part of what makes her homework so difficult, because she is doing the same reading homework as 3rd graders. She can read and comprehend what they do, but her fine motor skills, writing, and grammar knowledge are no where near a 3rd graders, and rightly so. So we spend a lot of time doing homework together. Luckily, she likes it, and rarely complains... if not, I'd be in that school figuring out how to move her into a lower reading level. Sydney started taking piano lessons at the beginning of the school year, and she loves it! She is just finishing her first set of books. It was so fun at Christmas time to hear her play Christmas songs, which she did at all of our family Christmas parties. When I look at Sydney, I am always reminded that life is good and to be happy... because she is always happy.
Cooper is doing well. He loves preschool. I feel like Cooper has changed a lot this year. He is very outgoing, and is a constant ball of energy. He never stops singing, running, talking, or playing. I have no idea how he can just keep going, but I'd love to steal some of his energy. He is no longer my quiet little mama's boy, but I love it just the same.
Ruby- wow, her first update on this blog. She is truly the light of my life right now. I always tell people that I am so lucky to have her because she, more than anyone, helps me remember how blessed I am, and how it's ok if time doesn't fly by too quickly. She is such a good, happy baby. She is tiny. She loves to be talked to, and has the sweetest little smile when people talk to her. I needed her in my life, and I didn't even know it.
This is my last year of preschool and Matt's last semester of school... we keep telling ourselves that we can make it until May. In May, when we are both done with those responsibilities, there will be a lot less pressure in our lives. I know we will still be busy, but we will be able to spend more time with each other, which will be so nice! I hope this update didn't sound like I was complaining the whole time. I am really so happy. I feel so blessed. I'm so in love with my little family, and I know the Lord has blessed us in so many ways. And yes, I am tired. I hope that I will be able to catch up on updating this blog, and that I will be able to document our lives, because even with the challenges we have, I want to remember it all. I feel so happy and lucky!
Since no blog post is complete without a picture... here is one from September...
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And if there is anyone who actually reads this, who doesn't follow me on Instagram, I do post little updates and pictures on that.... my username is jolynn_page
