Everyday is different but this was a pretty typical Monday. Here we go (get ready for picture overload!)....
My alarm goes off today at 5:00 and I snooze for a few minutes. I finally get up around 5:15, throw on gym clothes, an hit the gym for a 5:30 class. I try and listen to a podcast each today. Today's comes from Oprah. It was a great leg workout and I spotted the gorgeous full moon on the way home.
I come home and make breakfast: cinnamon sauteed apples (I prep these on Sundays) over Greek yogurt with walnuts. I love this yummy filling breakfast. I put out Hank's lunch food on the counter for my mom to feed him. I make the bed, turn on Unexpected, hop in the shower, and get ready for the day. Sometimes Hank is up at this time and it makes for very busy mornings but today he's still snoozing away.
Once I get to work I get some things ready for the day. I love the sun streaming through the windows in the morning. I get my water cups filled (I am obsessed with the pebble ice in the sick room) and munch on some apple energy bites (Costco) while I prep for the day. I've been doing a daily affirmation with my class and I write today's on the board: I enjoy new challenges! I have morning duty this week so I don my stylish vest and head outside at 8:45. Monday mornings are a little bit of crazy with putting new homework in folders etc. but my morning was MADE by one of my sweet gals making me a fall drawing. My kids know what I like!
We spent the morning sharing about our weekends and working on journaling and handwriting. It's apple week so we watched a video about an apple orchard while the kids ate their snacks. Then it was time for Centers! The kids love centers and I enjoy the chance to work with a smaller group. In my group today I did a "power words" assessment then taught the kids how to play Puppy Phonics so now it can be an independent center. After centers time around 11:30, we played a boys vs. girls math challenge game and did a 100 frame "Watch Think Color" activity. One of their activities during centers was this Apple ABC order sheet. I could tell the kids were struggling with it so we took some time and worked through it as a class before lunch.
12:20 was lunch time and I was starving and wishing I packed more to eat. It's nice to have a little breather with my teammates. In the afternoon, we worked on spelling and phonics. My kids went to recess and had PE in the afternoon so I used my prep time to catch up on emails and search Teachers Pay Teachers for a fun apple center to use this week. I had an awesome parent helper put up my fall bulletin board. Love those parent helpers! After I picked up my class from PE (after handling some discipline issues. Grrr), we ended the day by making 3D apple trees.
By the time the bell rang at 3:35, I was exhausted. I went outside for afternoon duty, then came in and worked on prepping sub plans for a conference I'm going to next month (really I just got the template ready to do throughout the week), then I hit the road around 4:00. I finished my Oprah podcast from the morning so I turned on the second half of Jonathan Van Ness's podcast for the ride home.
I stopped at Savers on the way home to drop off a big trash bag of clothes to donate. I try and clean and organize our closets every season and bring in a bag of donations. I last did it in June so it was time again! I love a good cleaning session. After I dropped that bag off, I went home to hug my guys and got to say bye to mom before she left for the day. I changed into comfy sweats, laid out Hank's outfit for the next day (isn't that fry shirt just the cutest?!), popped in a load of wash, and had a snack of chickpea puffs (obsessed) and a hard boiled egg.
AJ left for the gym and I played on the floor with Hank then fed Hank a bottle. I could tell he was getting fussy. The sweet little guy passed right out right after his bottle! I turned on the rest of Unexpected and packed our lunches for the next day. He stayed asleep for about 45 minutes so I logged onto the Smith's site and started building my Clicklist order for the week. I may have also had some wine I drafted my September Books Post on Sunday so I added the photos and published it. AJ got home and grilled chicken and I put together these taco salads while AJ gave Hank his dinner. We ate and then cleaned up , Facetimed Oregon Grandma and Grandpa, and went for a quick neighborhood stroll.
When we got home, AJ bathed Hank while I folded the laundry. When he got out of his bath (is there anything sweeter than a freshly washed baby?), we read him a story and he was asleep by 7:30. AJ and I headed downstairs and I had a major sweet tooth so I whiped up THIS recipe for an easy berry cobbler. AJ did some grading and I ordered part of my Halloween costume and we watched 90 Day Fiancee. AJ also changed out the diaper genie and I just had to take a pic. So gross. Lol.
We headed to bed around 9:30 and I read about 15 pages in a new book and then fell right asleep! This is a glimpse into one day in the life during this season!
Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie