A Day In My LIfe

Photo courtesy of Susanne Nilsson via Creative Commons.

One of the best things about being me is that every day has the potential to be different from the last. April 1st is vastly different from July 1st and December 22nd. Some days I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and some days I'm simply catching up on blog posts. (I can't think of a single day in the last year when I've been bored.) Anyway, I've shared "day on vacation" posts with you before (because I think they are more interesting), but here's a day in my regular, normal, every other day life.

Morning:

I wake up anywhere from 4/5AM and 10/11AM. Predictable is not my middle name.

Once awake, I have options. I can –

• Do consultant work.

For this I've done everything from put together websites (HTML and Javascript. Blech!), design logos for companies, put together book covers, come up with flyers and party invites, edit images, and (my absolute favorite) edit books! Love, love, love doing that! You have to be careful not to incorporate your own voice into the story though. It's not your work, it's someone else's.

• Blog.

You know write posts, write comments, write responses to comments, edit photos, edit HTML, curate, research, send emails, and post on social media. Over and over and over again. This could take as little as an hour to do … or as long as a day. Sometimes I'm in the mood to share my story and writing is easy, but some days I'm closed off and sharing is difficult. Those are the days that take the longest. :-/

• Clean.

I hate cleaning, but someone has to do it. We have laundry that needs to be washed, floors that need vacuuming, counters that need wiping, and so on and so forth. The thing I hate most about cleaning is that after you are done, you have to do it all over again. It's a never ending cycle!

• Personal whatever.

Sometimes this is writing emails to friends, but other times it is doing research for travel, booking hotels, talking on the phone to friends, social media'ing with friends, reading a good book, or catching up on my favorite blogs.

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Beallvia Creative Commons.

Then, it's lunchtime and I leave for the second part of my day – babysitting/nannying. While there, I…

• Am Uber.

My car is black and I pick the kids up from school and drive them around town. Ice cream, softball, dance class, baseball, Mother's Day card shopping, basketball, the park, the library, etc, etc… I think this makes me Uber.

• Help with homework.

Fractions and percentages are a nightmare! But they are nothing compared to geometry! There have been a number of occasions when I message Justin with a math problem to help me help the kids. Usually it all comes back and I remember what I'm doing, but sometimes I have to tell the kids they are on their own. (The horror!)

• Play.

Games are fun, but sometimes the kids just want someone to talk to. I'm not a fan of dolls or school, but I have no problem going out on the swingset or playing a riveting game of chess. In fact, I didn't know how to play chess until one of the kids I was watching learned; over the course of the next few months, I had Justin teach me. While neither me nor the kids I watch are any good, we have fun trying! :)

• Learn.

Did you know that alcohol gets up permanent marker from wood floors? Or baking soda + water can degrease a nonstick baking pan? The kids get into all sorts of trouble and, because I like them, I always try to help them find a way out of it before their parents find out. :) Google is super helpful! How did babysitters survive without it?

• Do laundry and clean the dishes.

Because that's what you do when you are a nanny. *shrugs* It keeps me busy.

• Read blogs and books.

While the kids are watching tv, I'm trying not to get distracted from my 2 books/month goal. Usually I end up getting caught up in all of the Disney programming though (Jessie, Dog With A Blog, Stuck In the Middle, and Bunk'd); it's far easier to ignore Cartoon Network (Teen Titans Go, Uncle Grandpa, Clarence).

Photo courtesy of Selbe Lynn via ;Creative Commons.

Around 6PM, the parents get home and I am dismissed for the day. I get on the highway, fight traffic for an hour, and then enjoy my wonderful husband's cooking. (Yesterday I was surprised with homemade ice cream!) From then on, I do more work, research, blogging, photo editing, emailing, consulting, reading, cleaning, etc… until 11PM. I never seem to run out of things to do! Then it's bed time. Phew!

Of course, my entire schedule gets thrown out of whack when there are school holidays or a kid gets sick.

While the craziness of my schedule definitely complicates my life, I also think it adds to the fun. I like the frequent changes. Some weeks I get more alone time to catch up on personal and consulting life while other weeks are spent primarily cleaning up after and helping kids. And with a husband as kind and patient as the one I have, I can't imagine a better life! :)

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Amorim via Creative Commons.

What does your schedule look like? Is it pretty consistent with most days being just like the day before? Or do you decide what you are doing each day based on how you feel? Do you think a crazy schedule that changes constantly would bother you? Or would you be happy with something like that?