So last week, I opted to my old fashioned way of listing what I needed to get done: Hand-written list in the index card. And this morning, I crossed out 5 to-do’s!
Yesterday, my alarm clock (as well as my husband’s) went off at 6:00 in the morning. Of course, I hit the SNOOZE button – so did my husband! Fifteen minutes later, another alarm clock somewhere in the house was going “Wake-up, Wake-up, Wake-up!”
Both my husband and I got up, brushed our teeth and started our quest to make that day productive!
I headed to my 10th grader, whose alarm was going off, and woke him up. Of course, he requested for 5 more minutes – which in real time is another 15 minutes. (I left his bedroom lights on just to make sure he’ll get up between 5 to 15 minutes from the time I patted him to get up.)
I then turned off the security alarm system, walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to take my Allegra- D medicine. It’s fall season and my allergies are acting up! ( I have to wait one hour before I can eat anything).
Drinking 8 ounces of water first thing in the morning seemed to wake me up. Then it was time to get the kids’ breakfast and lunch bags. And in between, I made the beds, reminded the kids’ of their after school schedule, and checked my email through my iTouch. (My parents and brothers are in the Philippines, and checking my email every morning, afternoon and evening is a must!)
By 7:30am, my 10th grader and my husband were headed out the door for their morning drive, hoping that there’s not much town traffic to get to the high school!
By 7:45am, it was time to wake up my 4th grader : reminded him to shower, brush his teeth, clean his ears,make his bed, eat his breakfast, take his vitamins and practice piano.
If I was up at 6am, I would have had a chance to shower. So while my youngest is getting ready, I rushed back upstairs, stretching on the way up and changed. (Monday was “running” day. My friend and I ran 5 miles last Saturday!!)
There was enough time to empty out the dishwasher!
By 8:20am, my 4th grader and I, together with our neighbors next door, walked our way to school. It’s about 10 minute walk-and-chat. Gave the kids hugs and kisses, wished them good-luck with their quiz, have fun and to be good.
The past few weeks, my friend and I would walk to the football field and run. But since we hit our 5 mile goal, we decided to change it a little. So we headed back to our homes, dropped off the little bags and started road-running as opposed to running in the tracks. We ran for 2.5 miles (around the lake, park and back to our house) in 25 minutes! We were home by 9:30am.
And then back to the house, I...
- cleaned the kitchen,
- checked my email messages,
- talked online with my brothers in the Philippines via Yahoo Instant Messaging,
- packed some stuff for a "balikbayan box" for the Philippines.
- rescheduled a doctor’s appointment,
- called the bank,
- followed-up my 2nd child’s college scholarship/grant (in California),
- called the car insurance company about the good-student discount for my 2 college kids,
- gathered up the laundry,
- did a load,
- scheduled a UPS pick-up for BCR,
- cleaned-up the bathrooms,
- checked FB
- read some articles in theMotherhood
- rescheduled a piano lesson for KIDZZ music studio,
- printed some posters for the school's Reflections program,
- reviewed calendar of events for the high school's newsletter,
- replied on a few text messages
and finally hit the showers!
My brother stopped by for a few minutes, we chatted about the economic difficulties and how small businesses are not doing well – for months and months now! We both commented on how much secure we would have been if we both work for the union or the government.
I headed back on my desk to start writing, but then I had more emails and bills to attend to and before I knew it, it was 2:45pm – time to get my 4th grader from school.
I walked to school, got my little guy and we both ran back home. (That kid always has plenty of energy!)
Walked in the house, reminded my little guy to wash his hands before he gets his snack. I then reminded him to do his homework and practice piano.
By 3:30 pm, I drove to the high school (about a mile away) to get my 10th grader. He didn’t come out until 4:05pm. (In between, I read a few pages with my Kindle reader via iTouch.)
Back home before 4:30pm. Supervised my son’s piano lessons (he teaches piano lessons to children) while making dinner and checking the laundry.
By 6:30 pm, we were all eating dinner together! (No gymnastics or TKD tonight). Talked about our days, laughed and learned…
I checked my 4th grader’s homework sheet, husband gave him ice cream for dessert, cleaned-up the kitchen and in between answered emails, checked the Power School ( kids’ grades), talked to my mom (in-law) and listened to my 10th grader’s piano playing.
By 9:30pm, kitchen was clean! My body was aching and it was just another perfect night for the hot tub with hubby!
An hour later, the kids are in bed – reading or asleep. My 21yo daughter’s still out.
11pm, for a change, I was getting ready for bed, for tomorrow’s another day!
How about you, where did your day go?
(ClipArt was taken from Microsoft Office 2003)
I hear you. I think to myself what did I do today and it seem like nothing. But I know that I have been running and running all day.
ReplyDeleteChristine, the list does make it more tangible! Nothing is ever trivial...everything counts!
ReplyDelete