What's your routine?

As a follow up to my post about being a working mom, I thought I'd walk through a typical weekday.  Now, I want to be clear that this post isn't a "hey, look at me and all I do in a day".  I wanted to show this to you to demonstrate some of my point from my first post on this subject.  I fully realize there are tons of busy people and that I'm not special in anyway.  That's not my point.

Ok, moving on...

6:00am - my alarm goes off. I snooze.  To save you time, this goes on a few more times until about 6:30

6:30am - I drag my sorry ass out of bed.  Straight into the shower.  I HATE mornings; I HATE early mornings even more.  Yes, 6:30 is early.

6:34am - Natalia yells at me while I scrub-a-dub in the shower, "MOMMY!?  I HAVE TO GO POTTY!!!"  "Yes, go!", I reply.

6:36am - Natalia yells at me while I continue to scrub-a-dub, "MOMMY!? I'M DONE!!"  "Yes, that's fine, go back to your room til you have a 7 on your clock!"

Skipping ahead...
7:20am - I go downstairs after my morning get-ready routine.  Natalia has been down for at least 35 minutes. :P

7:20-8:15am - This schedule depends on whether it is a day that I drop Jameson at school or not. If NOT, I rush through Natalia's hairdo, make my breakfast smoothie, try to help with breakfast, discuss the events of the day, get my last-minute things together (iPad, phone, coffee, smoothie, paperwork for the day, etc), say goodbyes to Natalia (at least 3 of them), Jameson and Jim and head out around 7:45am.  (If I'm lucky.)  If I am dropping Jameson at school, I do all of the above + get Jameson going with teeth brushing, with his jacket/boots/hat/mittens, find his school bag, and head to the car around 8:15am.

8:00-9:00am - Again, depending on whether I do drop off, during this time, I am either arriving at work or I am getting Jameson to school and then heading to the office.

8:00-9:00am - I am at work.  It is typical for me to have a meeting scheduled for the minute I walk in the door.  But, it should also be noted that in the timeframe referenced above from 7:20am-8:15am, I am checking messages on my Blackberry to make sure there aren't any fires that can't wait until I arrive and/or any that I have to handle as soon as I walk in the door.  Who called in sick?  Who rescheduled a meeting?  Who's pitching a fit?

8:00am to 5:30-6:00pm - work.  Typical to have meetings back to back for 4-6 hours.  If it's Wednesday night, I leave job #1 to head to job #2 at around 5pm.  Job #2 lasts til 9:30pm.  But, I digress.

5:30-6:00pm - I notice the time, "Oh SHIT! I gotta get outta here!"  I rush home because I know spouse will be pissy if I am home much later than 6:00.

6:00pm - I walk in the door.  He walks out...to putz in the shop.  Or, whatever.  Kids are usually eating when I come home.  (Yes, sometimes, they've already eaten.)  I finish that up...and make sure to clean up after.  I unload the dishwasher...and/or load the dishwasher.  I open/read mail.  I try to monitor work email (from Blackberry) to make sure nothing has blown up in the 20 minutes since I left.  I check Jameson's homework.  I check Natalia's school creativity.  I throw a lot away, but make sure to bury it under the paper plate at the top of the garbage can.  I give baths if needed.  I help Jameson with math homework.  I listen to his 20 minutes of reading.  I'm asked about a gagzillion times, "Mommy, will you play with me?"  I shoot the Lego robbers.  I put together the Hello Kitty puzzle.

7:30pm - I put Natalia to bed.  (Including teethbrushing, potty break, and finding her 7 items that need to accompany her to bed.)  Jim comes in to kiss/hug goodnight and goes back to his cave.

8:00pm - I begin the argument with Jameson about how it's time for him to go to bed.  Jim comes to the door to kiss/hug goodnight and returns to cave.

8:14pm - I get Jameson to bed. (Including teethbrushing, potty, and more arguing.)

8:20pm - I get Jameson's lunch ready, if needed.  I check work email.  I open the rest of the mail.  I pay some bills. I check personal email.  I return texts, phone calls.  I get my work stuff ready.

9:30pm - I sit down.  For me.  Then, I remember that I've promised to work on a resume for a friend...or that I need to edit a set of photos...or that Jim asked me to look at the DMV website for "whatever"...or that I need to pay the electric bill online because it's due TODAY.  If I'm lucky, I start/pick up a project of my own and sew, crochet, draw or be creative in some way...just for me.

11:30pm - "SHIT!"  I'm tired.  And, it's WAY past when I intended to go to bed.  I clean up my project-of-the-moment and go upstairs.  I get clothes ready for tomorrow and do the night-time routine.

11:42pm - I am in bed.  I am tired.  My mind is reeling.  I turn on the most boring show I can find in order to fall asleep quickly, but have background noise at the same time.  Jim is either still outside or he's already laying there snoring at volume 8 of 10.

11:42pm - 12:30am - I fall asleep.

1:00am - 6:15am - Natalia comes to my bedside one to umpteen times.  "Mommy, I have to go potty."  "Mommy, can you fix my blanket?" "Mommy, I need a drink." "Mommy, is it 7 yet?"  "Mommy, I don't like my socks on."  "Mommy, where's Daddy?" "Mommy, I can't find my blankie."  "Mommy, my favorite song is on my radio."...  You get the picture.  (And NO, I did not make a single one of these up.)

6:00am - alarm goes off.  Again.  I am tired.

...begin again...

A couple other important things:

• I cannot function on less than 5 hours of sleep.  I am a basket case.  So, those nights where Natalia's wakes are closer to "umpteen" than to "one" are really, really tough on me.
• Jim does a LOT around here.  I'd be sunk without him.
• VERY IMPORTANT:  I'd be very sad if I weren't able to do a lot of the things above.  I am, in no way, complaining about them.  I LIKE to drop off at school.  I LIKE to feed the kids dinner.  I LIKE to listen to the boy read.  I'd be upset if I didn't do these things.

I suppose I should find a bow and wrap this up, right?  My point in all of this is that... as a working mom, I feel like I want/need to do it all.  I WANT to experience all the things SAHM's do, PLUS I have to do all of the things a working mom does.  I would HATE to miss all of those little things that happen each day.  I DO hate that I miss many of those things. I hate it.

However, I often feel like I'm killing myself while trying to do both.  Its hard.  It's worth it...but it's hard.

Over and out... it's 10:46pm on a Friday night.  Wanna take bets as to what time I am actually asleep tonight?! ;)