Nice to have a routine again

November 14, 2010

We moved from Memphis in late June knowing a lot of changes would soon occur. 5 months later, we're just getting our routine down. I am tired of wading through so many life changes and figuring about how things would work out. Our focus for the past month has been to get a routine established and I think we're almost there. I like change. Always have and always will - probably because I was a missionary kid raised in 3 different countries. But lately the changes in our life have been plenty and I'm ready for the same for a bit!

The biggest change in our lives (other than moving and buying a house) is that Robert went from being a full time student for the past 5 years (and me working 3 days a week =lots of free time together) to Robert working full time and me working 3 nights a week. It has been a huge adjustment for us all- it stinks and I have no idea how most families operate working 5 days a week outside the home. I am enjoying 2 incomes, but I miss our extra time with Robert soooo much. When the weekends come, it seems like there is way too much piled up on our plates and we just want to have some fun! So we are still figuring some things out.

Having my aunt Becky here to watch Izzy has really facilitated getting Izzy's routine down. And the fact that she likes to get out and come to our house to watch Izzy while I sleep works out even better. (not to mention I get about 1 hour extra sleep a day this way).

Izzy goes to a church that hosts home-schooled kids on Tuesdays (my cousin Moriah goes there and Becky watches the babies & Izzy). So Izzy gets to play with kids on Tuesdays and Becky comes over to our house one or two days a week. Robert watches Izzy if I'm working the weekends. I miss out a lot of sleep, especially the first work day of the week (I'm up for 24 hours at least once if not twice a week) but it allows me extra time with Izzy and for her routine to be pretty consistent.

She adores other kids and loves to play so I'm sure she'll go to a mothers' day out program soon, but for now we have our routine and I am enjoying raising my daughter. Wish I could figure out a way to stay home full time with her. Sigh. Maybe someday.

This is why I love to stay home with my daughter. Because with routine comes lots of learning experiences about everyday things. It's in those little everyday moments between throwing the laundry on, picking up the house and running errands, I look down and see my precious child growing up watching her Mama. She mimics everything I do and doesn't forget anything. She asks lots of questions (with her eyes for now, but I know when she is asking me questions). And she grows each day. She is becoming very independent and knowledgeable. She came to me with peanut butter one day and was asking for some (she says more a million times when she wants some food). It wasn't mealtimes so I didn't make her a snack, instead just scooped some out for her. And she loved it. She ate it cautiously and knew not to get it everywhere. 4 spoonfulls later, she was as happy as can be and no peanut butter anywhere but her face. She was still puttering by my side watching me doing housework and she knew she had behaved good with the peanut butter. I think it's amazing that she is only 17 months and yet she always knows what she wants and can help herself accomplish small tasks that she wants to do while following rules (don't smear peanut butter everywhere if Momma gives it to you on a spoon). I am all about letting her learn through experiences. And with her by my side I can teach her and watch her grow. I just hope I do a decent job teaching her about important things too!

Hanging out, watching me sweep.