Wernet as crazy as we seem: Fall adventures

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Fall adventures

It's been over three months since my last post. I'm slipping! Most of that time is spent in our very full two-working-parents-five-kids routine. It looks something like this.
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5:30 am - Alarm rings, go running. I typically achieve full wakefulness sometime around 5:50 while on the treadmill. Always mysterious how I got there.

6:15 - Shower.

6:30 - Wake up Nellie, Eddie, and Mary Cate and try to help them get ready while blow drying my hair.

6:40 - Downstairs for breakfast.

7:06 - If we're going to be on time, I'm buckling kids in the car.

7:19 - Drop off Nellie at school. After 7:20, things get crazy in the carpool lane.

7:45 - School. It takes 10 minutes just to get out of the car and across the parking lot.

3:00 pm - Pick up the little kids.

4:00 - Leave school

4:30 - Home. Chat with all the kids about their day and help with homework, sign practice records, empty school folders, etc. while I clean the kitchen so I can make dinner.

6:00 - Eat dinner. Clean up dinner. Make lunches and repack backpacks. (All this assumes an open night. Most nights there are practices and rehearsals and lessons.)

7:30 - Start the never-ending bath and bedtime routine.

8:30 - Grading, emails, laundry, sending kids back to bed.

10:00ish - Bed
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But that's just the daily stuff. There have been a lot of new and exciting opportunities for the kids this year, too. Here are some highlights:

Nellie is in band and choir. She is taking flute lessons and earned a I rating at her first Solo and Ensemble.
Annie and Nellie were cast in Frozen Jr. The performances were in October and were amazing! I went every night. I learned a lot about stage hair and makeup...thanks Youtube.
Annie played basketball through the Grand Ledge rec league and liked it so much she signed up to play again this winter with DJ.
DJ has grown increasingly devoted to baseball, football, basketball, and reading. He doesn't do much else than read or watch sports with Kevin while playing catch with a Nerf football.
Eddie started talking in kindergarten. He's perfectly happy at school...just quiet.
Mary Cate is resigned to preschool. This is a big accomplishment for her. She's grown up so much in a short time being around all the four-year-olds!
Annie ran cross country. She and I ran two 5Ks together and I loved every minute of it. Annie maybe not so much.
We went to Silver Bells in the City and watched the parade from the warmth of Emily's office.
We visited John and Sue in October and my dad over Thanksgiving. We were surprised by a snowstorm at my dad's and fun bundled up in our pajamas over our clothes!

On this, the first day of Christmas break, we're definitely happy to have some slower days together. Of course, we had to spend hours and hours picking up the house and folding laundry first...the kids were not super happy about that, to say the least. For once, I wish they believed in Santa.