I thought I'd participate in the Day in the Life link party, The Daily Dime (found on Sara's blog) since we are beginning to get into a groove and have some routine around here. We moved to Surprise, Arizona in July. Matt started a new job, the kids a new school and I'm embarking on being a stay at home mom for the first time! Our days aren't necessarily exciting or anything but we are starting to feel at home here.
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Cade is 7 years old, Reese is 5 years old, Cam is almost 14 months.
Photos: The point here is to tell about your day and share 10 photos. I hope that having fancy photos is not a requirement...because I am NOT a fancy photo person. All my blog pics are of mediocre quality shot in bad lighting with my iPhone 6. It's how I roll.
Off to school! School here starts at 9AM, 40 minutes later than in Kansas yet we get out at the same time. We go to school more days per year but 40 minutes less each day. It is strange to me. But it has been nice to have the extra time in the mornings together! Well, and it's been extremely nice to not have to tip toe out of the house before everyone wakes up or wake everyone up at the crack of dawn to deliver them places before I go to work! I can't get the kids to sleep in past 7AM so there is plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and getting everyone packed up.
It took a few days of experimenting but we have figured out our drop-off routine. We drive from our house to the parking lot across the street from the school where they hop out. I like to sit there and watch the navy backpack and the teal backpack make it across the street before we drive away. The car loop line is incredibly long and we are coming from the opposite direction coming from our house so this has worked best. We do live walking-distance from the school but it is SO HOT we just drive it. I foresee us walking or riding bikes in the future but not yet.
Cam and I have joined a gym so we usually head there after drop-off for a 9:30 or 9:45 class. They have really good classes and Cam enjoys playing there for the hour. I have made some friends that I go to the classes with so that makes it even more fun! Between the university, the kids' school, our neighborhood pool, our church, and the gym I do feel like I run into the same people over and over and it has been fun to get acquainted with them. This area is newly developed and growing like crazy so it seems that everyone is fairly new to the area and super friendly. Or at least empathetic of a move to the desert!
After the gym, we headed to pick up our Wal-Mart grocery order. I started using it before we moved and am very glad they offer it here! It's just too easy! I place my order in the evening (takes about 20 minutes or less) and then just schedule the pick-up for when we will be out and about anyway.
On this particular day we received a shipment of rock. 10 tons of rock to be exact. Our house is long and skinny with the garage on the back side of it. This is a shot down the "alley" that runs behind our house where everyone's garage access is. About two weeks after moving in we were notified by the HOA that we needed more rock. Which really meant that we needed rock in the first place because it didn't appear that the previous owners had any along the back or side of the house. I love spending thousands of dollars...on rock. Said no one ever.
We now have rock. And doesn't this picture just look hot? Like you can see the heat radiating off the rock in the picture. #desert
When we returned home from the gym and our errands we ate a quick lunch (leftovers) and then Cam went down for nap. He's been sleeping a good 2-3 hours in the afternoon and then can barely stay awake past supper! I think he's experiencing a growth spurt and cutting molars and adjusting to the heat. #sleepitoff
While he slept I did some cleaning and some meal prep. Earlier in the week we went to Sam's and stocked up on meat so today I divided it all out into smaller portions to freeze and breaded some chicken tenders to freeze. I like to keep a good amount of meals in the freezer so I'm building my stock back up after moving.
I've been a little restless during the day as I adjust to not working. Right now I'm sticking to a rigorous cleaning schedule just for something to do. It's like I don't know what to do with myself. It's like I feel guilty if I were to relax some in the middle of a weekday. I feel like if this is how I'm contributing to our family now that I'm not working then I must be contributing at all times. So let's just say I'm still working through how my time looks different now...
He's awake! So now I can run the loud steam mop/vacuum. This tile floor will be the death of me. But isn't he cute?
Most of the main floor (the entryway, powder room, dining room, kitchen, breezeway and laundry room) is a shiny neutral tile that show all sorts of marks. I'm still figuring out how to keep it clean! I'll post some before and afters at some point, but so far I painted the rooms upstairs and then we had the main level and kitchen cabinets painted. I'm loving the gray kitchen but still needing to get the tile back splash updated.
Eventually I will give up the fight but right now the steam mop and I are trying to battle all the dust of the desert!
Time to go pick up Cade and Reese from school. The younger grades cannot be picked up from school via the car loop, you must get out and claim them from their teachers directly. So again we drive up to the school, park across the street and head over to wait in line to get them. This school is very different then what we were used to in Kansas. It is grades K-8 and it is HUGE! Picking kids up is one of the most chaotic things I've ever witnessed. It's gotten better as the days have passed, but it still is craziness. So throw in the fact that it's like walking on the sun and this is a very sweaty experience!
We are still trying to work out our after-school-routine. The kids are beat. Hot, hungry, angry, aggressive, all the feels. We have had success with a thumbs up, sideways, or thumbs down system to tell about their day at school. But beyond that it is meltdown city. I'm torn whether we dive right into homework, take a nap, do an activity together, or just give them a chance to chill out! Some days we go to the neighborhood pool, often times we grill or take pizza and eat supper on the patio there. On this particular day we played with water balloons and guns which somehow turned into soaking in storage tubs...and Cam skinny dipping. It's like Monday and Tuesday they are alright but by Wednesday, Thursday and Friday they are so exhausted they are just a mess after school. #OpenToSuggestions
Cam usually takes an early evening snooze while I finish dinner (I try to have much of the prepping done before we get the kids from school depending on what we are having) and then after we eat it's your standard bath, books, bed around here. Only far more painful than it needs to be because that's how tired kids roll. Please tell me you know the feeling?
Very much still in the adjustment phase and holding out for cooler temperatures so we can be outside more and not feel like we are on the sun's surface. But overall much to be thankful for. Thankful for this journey and getting to experience it all as a family. Even a family of crazies!
