As a response to my dear sister-in-law I'm writing about my typical day.  Ashlee is fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home mom and in her last blog entry she wrote about her typical non-exciting but perfectly productive day.  Now, I've had the good fortune to experience the stay-at-home-mom lifestyle and believe me, it's no picnic.  If I was given the choice today I'm not sure that I would choose to do that again.  Just wait a year and a half until both my kids are in school, then I'll be able to fulfill my dream of being a stay-at-home mom .

For now I'll maintain my sanity by escaping to my cubicle for 8 hours a day, torturing myself by thinking of all the projects I could be working on at home, if only I had the time.  I don't know how people manage the working-mom life.  Our daily schedule leaves so little time for extras during the week.  On a typical day I barely have enough time to finish the things I need to do- eat, sleep, take care of kids and critters, heaven forbid I have to go to a meeting, swimming lesson, or anything else after work.  There's just no time for it.

So as a response to my dear Ashlee, An Ode on a Working Mom...my not so perfect (but typical) day-
5:30- hit the snooze
6:10- realize I had better get my butt moving
6:30- ahhh, my peaceful time outside, checking critters... uhhhhgg, is that goat limping?  Another hoof injury, why in the world did somebody decide that it was a good idea to dump all their scrap metal in the woods?
7:00- better get the kids up
7:05- kids, get up!
7:10- Kids, we're leaving in 5 minutes!
7:15- break down and drag the kids out of bed so I can dress them like a limp doll.
7:25- leave for work, only 10 minutes late today!
7:35- drop kids off at daycare, they scream for another hug as I sneak out the door.
8:00- work (yawn) They have the air conditioning on today, I know I should be thankful for that but it's FREEZING in here.  I can't help but think the taxpayers' money makes our building into a refrigerator in the summer.  What a waste.
2:00- realize that I've really done nothing productive today, take a coffee break
4:30- another wasted day, back home to bust my butt to get things done that I need to do at home.
5:00- pick up the kids, they fight with each other all the way home.
5:15- try to escape whiney kids by going to my room to rest
5:20- they find me, beg for supper, wake up Bill
5:45- supper- scrambled eggs, again. while making supper and waiting for the kids to finish I managed to whip up a batch of strawberry preserves to can.  I picked three buckets of strawberries on Sunday and most of them are sitting in the fridge waiting to meet their final destiny as jam, pies, sorbet, and other yummies that we can save for the dark winter months.
6:30- Lily and I pick rhubarb for our next canning endeavor- rhubarb sauce
6:45- Bill complains that the yard is a mess, parts of a raccoon I poisoned had been scattered about by our puppies, and why didn't I take care of it right away?  So I did raccoon pick-up duty.
7:00- Lily helps me chop the rhubarb and start it stewing.
7:45- Kids need a bath...
8:00- kids, get your PJ's on and brush your teeth!
8:15- I stink too bad from raccoon duty, I'll tuck you in after I do chores and shower, GET TO BED!!
8:20- first half of chores- feed the critters, put the puppies in the kennel, call the goats up, fill the watering tanks.
8:30- back inside to put rhubarb sauce in jars and process
8:40- Kids, get to bed, I'll tuck you in when I'm done!
9:00- back outside for chores, part two- catch the two goats with hoof injuries and give shots, penicillin for infection and banamine for fever and swelling.  They hate me know.
9:20- back in to take the jars off the stove and clean up
9:25- No, I'm not finished yet, GET BACK TO BED!
9:55- The much-needed shower
10:10- I tuck in Lily and Jack
10:15- send Bill off to work
10:20- Lily tucks me in
10:30-            

Love ya girl!!!