I guess I should also note, that this is what a day looks like if we don’t have Bridges or therapy appointments or…or…or. Frankly, these days are kind of like unicorns which is another reason to capture it.
I’ve been doing my best to get up and working at around 6 AM. All circumstances and sleep deprivation aside, I’m naturally a morning person. My brain really refuses to do any real thinking roughly after 3PM. If you see something from me after that time, I probably scheduled it at 6AM. This is also the only quiet time in my house where I can record what I need to for the podcast. However, with the days getting darker and colder, I’m starting to experience the slippery snooze slope. PJ slips out the door at around 6:45 AM.
At 7 AM, Mia, a morning girl after my own heart, gets up and starts school right away. #herchoice #dreamstudent
By 9 AM, I figure I should call Ty. He’s usually awake by this time, but he’s not allowed to come out until he’s been summoned. He goes straight to breakfast. If Jae doesn’t have school, he usually wanders over to eat with us, too. #theboysarealwayshungry
Ty is freshest in the morning, and my patience level is at its max, so we tackle school that requires my supervision right after breakfast. Despite my best efforts, I loose my cool over his inability to file papers in a binder…even with detailed instruction. Sometimes, we’re just going along swimmingly, and then–BAM–FASD brain.
That mist in the picture is our diffuser going. We use it to keep our emotions in check. I’m his external regulator, so if I can keep myself playful and calm, he’ll follow suit.
By 11:30 AM, we need a play break. Well, he plays. I work.
Around 12:30 PM, I sit him in front of his lunch (a taco bowl of sorts) and go take a shower. We have a solar hot water heater, so I try to do hot water activities when the sun is shining, and we can take advantage of the free energy.
After lunch, we tackle the bits of school that he can mostly do on his own. Basically, I give him one task at a time, such as alphabetizing his spelling list, and he reports back when he’s finished to have his work checked and get his next assignment.
Around 3 PM, it’s more playtime for him and more work time for me. PJ is also home by now which can change the dynamic if he decides to not be a video game hermit and engage with the rest of the house.
On Tuesdays, we eat an early dinner and head out around 6 PM for Ninja Warrior practice for Ty and archery for Mia.
By the time we get home, it’s bedtime for Ty.
Patrick bowls on a team with some work buddies and gets home late on Tuesdays, so I usually have a podcast guest lined up to record at 9 PM or I have time to catch up on that never-ending to-do list.