Friday routine

I'm going into work tomorrow, again, while Emily stays home with the kids (she took a day off). It's supposed to be nice out and they'll have a blast, but I thought I'd give her a preview/guide anyway. Usually the day goes something like this.

6:30. Usually breakfast, sometimes a little free play first, on rare occasions TV.

7:00. TV (assuming breakfast has been had). This is the hour I do work, browse the Internet, guzzle coffee.

8:30. Second breakfast. Jack eats a lot at this breakfast: waffles, banana, cereal sometimes, bagel, orange juice, vitamin. Kate eats about half that much but still does fairly well. This coincides with my first breakfast. On occasion we'll walk to Dunkin' Donuts. On occasion.

9:00. Usually I get them dressed around now, remind Jack to go pee, brush teeth. Sometimes I shower, sometimes not. I get dressed. There's usually some play here too, sometimes they play nicely together for a little while. This is when I might make the bed, especially if I'm Emily. Sometimes they play in their rooms, Jack goes into his room and closes the door, Kate cries because she wants to play with him, so on and so forth.

10:00. We often go out. Sometimes a haircut for Jack, sometimes the bank or supermarket or post office (or some combination of those), recycling, that kind of thing. I find it good to get them out of the house in the morning, not too early so it's cold, not too late so Kate falls asleep. It's supposed to be a great day tomorrow, so I'd lean toward the playground.

11:30. Home, free play. Sometimes Jack asks for TV, usually I steer him away from it, saying maybe he can watch something during Kate's nap. It varies.

12 noon. Lunch. Sometimes mac and cheese, sometimes p b and j, usually yogurt or something. I like to save apples and grapes for afternoon snack.

1:00. Kate naps. I play with Jack. Cards, board games, cars, superheroes. Sometimes we draw pictures. There's a new High Five magazine I'm sure he'll enjoy. This is a good time to focus on Jack. I'm not always perfect, but I try.

2:45. Wake Kate up. Don't want her napping much longer than 90 minutes or so.

3:00. Play. Do puzzle with Kate, something like that.

3:30. Apple snack and either water or milk. Much later than 3:30 and they don't eat dinner.

4:00. TV. Whatever they want. Being that it's supposed to be nice, though, I'd lean toward running around the back yard or playing basketball in the driveway. Spider-man ball is at the top of the basement stairs, other basketballs are probably near the front door. Football in the pantry.

4:45. Around now I emphasize CDs and playing in the living room, waiting for Mommy, or in this case Daddy, to come home.

Have fun.