Wednesday, September 09, 2009

24 hours.

12:00am Sign out from my volunteer shift and head home for the night. If it hadn't been a slow night, sign out would have been closer to 12:30-45. I call Josh from the car to let him know I'm headed home. At 10 'til 1, I get home. Josh is still half-awake in bed, waiting for me. I tell him he doesn't have to wait up, but he likes to. He comments on the fact that I'm home early and tells me KayTar has been coughing, that he had to go up and sit with her, hold her upright for a while to let her catch her breath. He says she was gagging a lot, but didn't vomit. I wash my face, brush my teeth, and pull on my pajamas. Then I go and fetch KayTar from her little bed and put her in mine. Josh and I pass each other in the living room and whisper our goodnights. He is bunking in BubTar's room again.

1:30am
KayTar stirs, "Mom, are you there?" "Yes, I'm right here, baby, are you okay?" "Yes, I was just asking where you were." She coughs and coughs. "Do you need your Albuterol?" "No, I'm fine." "Can you take a big breath for me?" She does. She doesn't sound like she is working too hard, so I believe her. We toss and turn and drift to sleep around 2, perhaps.

5:45am
Josh's alarm clock goes off. It takes me 10 minutes to register why he isn't turning it off, he is sleeping upstairs again. I get out of bed and turn it off, perturbed at being woken fifteen minutes early. When my alarm goes off at 6, I hit snooze once, just because I'm angry about waking earlier. Of course, I don't ever fall back asleep.

6:05am
I get out of bed, stumble to the closet and grope for a pair of pajama pants in the dark. I walk to the kitchen and start the coffee, then I sit at my computer. At 6:30, I start calling up the stairs to wake Josh, it takes far too long and I resort to calling him by his full name. This works. BubTar wakes easily, as always, but it takes both of us to rouse KayTar today. Josh dresses her in the dark, then tube feeds her. She can't bear any light in the morning, none at all. BubTar dresses himself, I dress myself, and then I fix KayTar's breakfast, which she eats at school. Soon enough it is time for the hair fixing assembly line, followed by shoes, backpacks, and out the door. We're a little off schedule when we leave the house at 7:22, because KayTar needed a last minute dose of Albuterol.

7:50am Home from drop off. I pull on shorts and a tank top and head for the recumbent bike. The first 5 minutes are horrible, I continually bargain with myself over when I can stop. Once my heart rate speeds up, I feel better and make it a whole half-hour. Then I pop a bagel in the toaster and get in the shower. After my shower I put cream cheese on my bagel (strawberry, if you are curious) and sit down to eat it and write the first portion of this post. Then, of course, I check in on Twitter.

9:00am
Time for school work. I have two chapters in my Composition II text to read. I alternate reading my text with checking in online periodically. It keeps me motivated. I have a second cup of coffee. I watch the PowerPoint lecture for the week and complete a quiz. I call the Texas HHSC to clarify our instructions on the kids' CHIP renewal paperwork. My estimated wait time is 4 minutes. The on hold music is ridiculously loud.

10:27am My cell phone alarm rings right after someone answers my call. Time to go get KayTar. I put on my shoes while I talk on the phone, quickly get my question answered and I'm out the door. In the car line, I read a book, Becoming a Doctor. KayTar is crying when I get her, she is cold. Outside. In Texas. At home I have to get her a hoodie immediately. She is a weird kid sometimes. She plays XBox and drinks Pediasure while I make more phone calls to her surgeon (about g-tube replacement), her ENT (about hearing tests), and a pediatric special needs dentist in our area. I have to leave messages at all three places. I watch the President's address and try to corral KayTar into watching it. She is not into it.

11:30am Try to talk KayTar into taking a nap with me, it is a no go. "But Mom, PLAYING is much more fun than NAPPING." Maybe for you, kid. I start a load of laundry and straighten up the living room. The ENT's office calls me back to get some information and tell me they will call again tomorrow. I finish sweeping and mopping, and remember to call the neuro-ophthalmolgist to see if they have received KayTar's medical records. I leave another message.

12:08pm Lunchtime for me, leftover spaghetti from my parents. Yummy. Play with KayTar for a good while and then read through her Brain Quest cards with her and realize that she needs a harder deck. Give her a popsicle (I have a theory that she has been self-medicating with popsicles, keeping her glucose up, which is why she hasn't had an episode, KNOCK ON WOOD), turn on Max and Ruby, and remember that laundry I started earlier. Better take care of that. I watch a little ER and fold laundry while KayTar watches the Fresh Beat Band and dances around.

2:32pm
My cell phone alarm goes off, time to pick up BubTar. In the car, I read and listen to KayTar chatting with Isabella (EYE-sa-bella, her imaginary friend). BubTar had a great day, as always. He checked out his first books from the library, Dwarf Planets and Electricity. They made banners for their reading groups today, his banner/team name wasn't chosen (The Mushroom Martians, they really looked like mushroom aliens!), but he is proud of his work regardless. I like that he colored his banner red, seeing as the Mushroom Martians (or "Marsians" as he spelled it) were on Mars. We get home and it is snack and TV time for the kids and homework time for me, I have to finish a take home lab for Chemistry that I put off over the weekend. I fill out the calendar for Josh for the week, medications, activities, who needs baths when, that sort of thing.

4:00pm I play some Fusion Frenzy on the XBox with my favorite little guy, then I start getting ready for class. I tube feed KayTar.

5:10pm
Josh gets home. We exchange notes on the kids. Give kisses and I'm out the door. Almost. KayTar calls me back because I forgot to give her a hug with her kiss. I swing by Taco Bell for dinner, a chicken quesadilla and diet Dr. Pepper. I eat while driving and finish up in the parking lot at school. I manage to read a couple pages of my book, too.

8:45pm
My chem lab partner and I are the first group to finish our assignment and I head home, pleased that I stayed conscious through lecture. My teacher likes to read from the book and she only makes notes on the chalkboard occasionally. I don't learn well this way, I have to write to learn, to be in motion, so her lecture style creates a perfect environment to be overtaken by a nap. I have to stop by the grocery store on the way home, we're running low on some staple items.

9:30pm I get home, put away groceries and peel my clothes off, it is definitely time for pajamas. I pour myself a glass of wine and Josh and I settle in to watch Hell's Kitchen. After Hell's Kitchen, I watch a few episodes of Forensic Files in bed while Josh plays a computer game.

11:59pm I publish this post and tuck myself into bed. Goodnight!

What about you? What does a typical day look like at your house?

18 comments:

Becca said...

DUUUUUUDE.

After reading this I just spent my whole shower/getting ready time thinking "Why don't I feel like I have any free time again?"

AJU5's Mom said...

Your schedule is a lot busier than mine! I just have one kid, a part-time job, and normal mommy/wife duties! Your day just makes me tired looking at it.

mamatulip said...

I love this. I love reading about people's every day lives. Yours sounds really, really busy but, at the same time, very fulfilling.

Kyla said...

Mamatulip: You were my inspiration for this one!

Magpie said...

Wow. I suppose if I wrote it all down, it would look like something, but really? I do nothing compared to you.

BTW, I loved "self-medicating with popsicles".

Sara said...

I'm tired reading this... you're awesome. And an inspiration.

Christine said...

you are one BUSY mama!! do you ever get any rest? ;-p

Gwen said...

Let's see: it's 11:06 am and I'm still in my pajamas. So, yeah, my life is almost as full as yours.

Tami said...

Your day is much much busier than mine. I think part of the reason I read your blog is for inspiriation...you amaze me. The other part is the fondess I have developed for Bubtar & Kaytar, two children I have never met but keep in my prayers. As for my typical day. Wake up time depends on Cody's football schedule. If there are two-a-days then I am up by 5:30, get ready, wake Cody up about 6:00 and we are out the door for football practice at 6:30. I drop off Cody, stop by Starbucks (my treat for getting out the door on time) and off to work. I don't mind mornings like this b/c I beat everyone to work and have some quiet time to start my day. I work from 7:30-5:30 every day. BUT, with football practice, I have been skipping lunches and leaving at 5:00 (yes, even if I took a lunch it would be an 8 hour day, but that isn't how it works around here). I pick up Cody from school at 5:45 then head home for dinner. Oftentimes dinner is "breakfast", tacos, or takeout. Once dinner is done & put away I sit down to catch up on my Regis and Kelly and any other DVR's. My husband works nights, so he usually gets up about 6:00pm. I spend a little time with my hubby, keep after Cody to finish homework, shower, etc. then TRY to get into bed by 9:00 so I can read a bit and be asleep between 9;30 and 10:00 to start it all over the next day.

painted maypole said...

Whew.

a great idea for a post.

Jaden Paige said...

Awesome post. :)

sheree said...

wow. You and J are in need of a date night. lol

Caroline said...

I've told you before and I will tel you again..YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!

~aj~ said...

Good lands, woman! I knew your lives were this busy, but actually picturing your minute-to-minute day just about blew me away. I'm so amazed at how you find time for so many things...from quality time with the kids to watching favorite tv shows to class and homework. After reading this I feel like a good portion of my day is just a total waste.

P.S. I've wanted to do a post like this for a long time. I'll try and play along soon!

Cori said...

I feel like such a slacker after reading your post.
Wow. Once again you have earned the name Super Mom. Soon I guess I will have to call you Dr. Super Mom :)

moplans said...

there is much more attempted sleep in my schedule!
we fall asleep with the kids then get up at 11. At that point I realise how much I have to get done so I just go back to sleep!

tierd said...

I love reading this too - a peek into your typical day! You are one super busy woman!!!

Woman in a Window said...

Holy heck, nothin' like this! And yet I'm still zonked by night.