Life at the Lofty House

Yesterday was the first day of my newly-revised daily schedule. I used to have one in Cincinnati, but the move to Madison and adjusting to the pattern of our days here has delayed instituting one until now. It's very complicated, based on a variety of expectations, obligations, and potential changes, but it basically comes down to the following principles:

• I want more structure for the girls, in that they need more of my uninterrupted time. One of my goals is that I do not do chores while we do "school" activities, and that I am not on the computer while they are awake.

• I want to be able to know, in advance, what I need to be responsible for in my day. I hate coming to 5pm and not having a dinner plan. I hate thinking that every chore needs done today. So I planned menus in advance, and I delegate chores throughout the week. If it's not on the list for today, I don't do it.

• I am beginning a "school" portion of the kids' day to start them more thoroughly on basic pre-school concepts, including numbers, counting, basic math, colors, shapes, art, music, letters, phonics, Spanish, basic science, and lots of reading. I made a list of activities in advance (on a busy Sunday evening) so that I won't be at a loss as to what to do with them next. An unstructured three hours alone with the girls looks really daunting on paper.

• I made sure, also, to include a daily portion of physical, outdoor activity with the kids. I need it, they need it, and our future winter-bound selves will appreciate being used to the out-of-doors. If we can't manage to get outside while it's 55F, then how can we expect to when it's snowy and 10F?

Anyway, yesterday worked out just fine. I was on-track enough to feel accomplished (and sleepy - I'm not used to 6am yet), but flexible enough that when we wound up playing outside for almost two hours in the afternoon instead of doing school, we used puzzles for "school" instead while I watched "Arrested Development" in the evening. Not exactly textbook, but it worked. (An aside: Ilsa knows about half of her alphabet, and as Keven posted recently, she knows how to count to ten. So cool!)

Yesterday, we also went to Swim West, where the girls surprised and thrilled me with their new eagerness for the water. They sat on a lower step in the shallow end (thereby putting the water level up to their chests instead of their hips), Juliette put her chin in the water and spit (her version of blowing bubbles), Ilsa put water on her face and hair, they both wanted me to take them out into the water where they would kick and float on their tummies, and best of all, they both loved sit-jumping off of the wall and into my arms. I was shocked! Ilsa just flung herself at me, laughing, and then said "'Gain!" So went again, and again, until my arms were tired from lifting them out of the water. I'll have to take Keven with me next time, because it was easy when they didn't want to go in and sat rigidly on the steps. I need help now that they're more eager!

So I'm behind already this morning because of this post. Ah well. They're sleeping, and they can eat breakfast during "Sesame Street" - see what I mean about flexible? We'll be going over to a fellow MBA mom's house this afternoon for some play time, and then I have bellydancing and a Joint Venture Club get-together this evening. Yay! Mommy time!

Now if only I could summarize all of this interaction and learning to people in a short sentence, rather than just telling them "No" when they ask if Juliette is going to pre-school yet. I suppose I should get used to it.