{Our new normal}

Routine.

It has taken 3 years and 11 months to feel like we have a routine down with Joshua working nights.  The house has been fairly clean, laundry getting worked on everyday and I have had great nights with the boys lately. The last two days have been quite rough but I didn't get enough sleep and I have been stressing about a few things.
 I was trying to think of what was making the good days good... really I should call them smooth days. I had coffee before noon, Joshua started unloading the dishwasher when he got home at night (this is a HUGE help! for some reason waking up to an empty dishwasher and sink makes me feel amazing) I wasn't on facebook or the computer / ipad as much.

    {It's amazing the amount of things you can get done when you aren't wasting time.}

I was trying to be intentional with my time and trying to just be awake to whats around me. We also have been following a good evening/bedtime routine, which includes no tv after 7pm, reading books to calm down and a bedtime snack. We actually just stopped watching tv after dinner completely, it is amazing how just turning off media can change your whole day!

Tonight is our very last night alone without daddy!! We are very excited! I have an idea in my mind of how our mornings will go but not really for the rest of the day... I'm a little scared... nap time has always been our biggest challenge since changing to toddler beds before F was born. Only Joshua can get them to fall asleep. There will be a lot of day's without naps... I don't try to schedule everything down to the minute, just a general order that we do things in. I am looking forward to having coffee in the morning with Joshua, and I am blessed to have a coffee pot that I can set at night if I want to. I am thinking the order will be... Coffee/husband time. Feed the dogs. (the boys have been waking up at 7am which will be perfect). breakfast. brush teeth. Dress the boys..... then I'm not sure what will happen...Probably that will be just in time to watch Super why and Dino Train... I of course do dishes and feed/dress F between all that... If anyone has any thoughts on an afternoon routine please share your ideas!

Wish me luck as we head into this very new and different season for us!

p.s. how can you not just LOVE this little face???

Never underestimate the importance of being properly caffeinated.... ;)