Just A "Mom-Day" (what I like best)

Earlier this week, I had a perfect "mom-day."  You know, those days when you don't have to do anything major.  There is no outside appointments, no unexpected drama, no event to get ready for or clean for, no sickness and just a good ole boring day.  Yes, this mom likes boring.  As I get older, I cherish the days when I am just home with my little ones.  Actually, I like to be home with them more and more.  It's my "queendom" as I heard one older mom say one time.  Anyway, I've posted our homeschool schedule in the past and my kids' schedules but I thought I would let y'all take a look at just a regular day for this Mama of 10.......a perfect day to me.  And really, it was pretty much the same when I had 3, 5, or 7 kids :)

6:30  wake-up, make coffee, read Bible and pray
7:30  start breakfast and dressing kids
8:30  do about a half hour of Pilate's
9:00  shower and put Patrick down for morning nap
9:30  reading time with all my kids, get school started
10:15  tea break and check emails
12pm  wrap up school time
12:30  lunch and clean-up
1:00  fold laundry and clip coupons
1:30  head to grocery store with 3 kids to do big shopping
3:00 pick-up Anna from school
3:30 go visit my mom
4:00 put up groceries and feed kids snack
4:30 blog and check email and return phone calls
5:00 start dinner, play with little boys
6:00 husband home!
6:20 dinner and family time
7:00 clean-up and more laundry
7:30 make dessert with little girls
8:00 kids reading time with Dad while I put Patrick down
8:30 kids to bed
9:00 watch news with hubby.....sleep

Managing Cooking

It's a good thing I like to cook, right? I started cooking and baking at 10 years old and no, my Mom didn't teach me, but that's another blog post :o)  Anyway, this is how I manage all the meals at my house.  

Since dinner can be the most overwhelming and is the largest meal in most american households, I will start with that.  What I started doing a few years ago is a schedule with each day having it's "main course".  Meaning I have a roast night (this could be any kind of meat roasted), a chicken night, an italian night, a mexican night, a seafood night, a soup night and a left-over night.  I brained stormed all the dinner meals we like and put them into one of the above categories.  I made a list so that I have 5 weeks of meals written down.  I do vary the days some depending on our schedule and how much time I have to cook or if I need to do a crockpot meal cause the afternoon will be crazy.  I also vary it some by what is on sale at my favorite grocery store for that week.

As far as lunch, we basically have sandwiches, left overs or frozen pizza.  We are big breakfast eaters though.  I believe in giving my kids a high protein breakfast, plus most of my children are like me and wake up pretty hungry.  I alternate our mornings with either eggs, cooked one of three ways, or a high protein shake with either hot or cold cereal on the alternate days.  I make waffles or pancakes on Saturday.  When it's "egg" day, we have toast or homemade biscuits or muffins with the eggs. I'll post my shake recipe in my recipe section of the blog.  Hope this isn't too confusing and maybe one day I'll post all our dinner meals.  Happy cooking!