Precious Time at Home

In order to silence all those who wonder what a homemaker does with all her time, let me share a typical day at my home. Every evening, I jot down a list of must-dos and want to dos for the next day. Before I had a baby, I actually would finish my to-do list, now by the end of the day, it has actually grown longer. Funny how one little soul can zap time out of existence. Time has become so precious to me.


This is how a typical day at home may go...


After sleeping off an on through the night, I hope Emma will sleep just a little longer on the one morning I can sleep a little longer. The moment the clock strikes 6:30, I start to hear little noises from her room. She is awake and my day has begun.


Since I am home 2 full days a week, I decided to to the laundry on those days. I don't have machines in my apartment, so I use the complex facilities-3 washer and 3 dryers which can get pretty busy. I try to get the wash in first thing in the morning, so I am not waiting on other people to do their loads. Today I had 6 loads to do. Thankfully the machines were empty and I got the first 3 loads in the wash by 7:30. I set the timer to remind me to swap loads in half an hour then fed and burped Emma.


I put the next loads in at 8:30 and set the timer for an hour, when the dryers would finish. Then I made the beds, and picked up the house, and cleaned the bathroom, and fed Emma.


Then at 9:45 I got the loads swapped, brought up the dry laundry and folded and put that away. Between entertaining Emma, putting her down for nap, then putting the clothes away...an hour was gone.


So I went back down at 10:45 and got the last three loads of laundry. Some were not quite dry, but I wasn't going to spend another dollar to get the dampness out, so I brought them up and hung them around the house-on the doors, furniture, and closets so they would dry. I put away the things that were dry.


By then it was 11:30, and I jumped in the shower before Emma woke up from her nap. By the time I was done, she was throwing a fit in her crib. It was time to feed her again. I fed her, read her books, and played peek-a-boo. By then it was 12:30-My morning was gone.


I spend some time writing notes and doing paperwork my husband asked me to do for him, then realize Emma is fussing. She has a blow-out. I changer her and wash her up. Then I play with her a bit and put her down for a nap--1:30.


I have 2 hours before my husband comes home, so I put up my hair, put on make-up, and pick up the laundry from about the house. I make sweet toe for him and some cereal bars, then wash the dishes in the sink and wipe down the counters-2:30


One more hour-Emma awakes from her nap. I feed her, burp her, and talk to her. Then I check for coupons on the websites I visit, then I go through my coupons and trash the dated ones and file away the new ones. 


3:45-Jim comes home. I chat with him while he gets ready to head out again. Thankfully this week he is working in our apartment complex, so he doesn't have far to go.


Jim leaves at 4 and I am starved by then so I raid the refrigerator and eat some cold fried chicken. Yum. 


I put Emma down and look at flight prices for a possible visit to the East coast the first of the year. 
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Play with Emma


It is 6:20 as I am publishing this article and the day is yet incomplete. This is about how I would expect the evening to go...


6:30-I take Emma to go visit Jim at work.
7:00-Emma gets a bath and nighttime feed.
8:00-Emma is in bed asleep and I have time for my personal devotions and Sunday School preparation.
9:00-I make Jim's lunch for the next day, and get our clothes, car-seat, and diaper bag ready for 6:00 the next morning. 
10:00-Jim comes home-we chat-he showers
11:00-Sweet Sleep until Emma wakes up to eat.


The day in a nutshell, it seems like I did nothing much, yet the day is over and my list of to-do's remains, with only the bare necessities accomplished. I am only one mother among thousands, yet I feel that I speak for all stay-at-home-mom's when I say that there is no time for long chats on the phone, watching TV or movies, or anything other than the bare necessities of life. I know as children grow, the  business remains, but changes. Am I complaining? Absolutely not! I love being a wife and mother, and am so very, very thankful that it is the life the Lord has allowed me to have. To me, I am living the ideal life that some women only dream about.