The New Daily Grind - England Style - 2015

Remember that post I did about our daily grind back in Charlotte?  If not, you can see it here:

The Daily Grind - January 2015

Well, our daily routine has changed pretty drastically since moving to England.  For starters, I have been a stay at home mom since we moved.  Steve started working 2 weeks after we landed.  I haven't not worked since I was 18 years old so this whole stay at home mom thing has been, well a HUGE adjustment for me.  If I'm being honest, I desperately miss the working world and the brain stimulation that comes along with it.  I miss my old bosses, my clients, working a catastrophic injury claim from start to finish and most of all helping these people find justice from negligence of others. 

Having said that, I am also enjoying this special time with my girls.  I have watched both of these girls blossom in ways that I definitely feel like I would have missed out on back home.  Lottie is absolutely loving her new school.  In fact, she has been giving me total attitude lately when I pick her up saying, "I just want to stay at school.  Please go to work, so you can pick me up late.  I love learning!!!"  Whoa - let's hope this lasts forever!!!  She also runs to school and I find myself skipping behind her trying to keep up.  I have NEVER seen a child so eager to go to school to learn and play with friends.  She is reading and writing and sounding out all of her letters and sounds.  I find myself smiling from ear to ear each day after school doing homework watching her literally sound out each word in her book and then nailing it every time.  She is making this "mum" so proud!!! 

And Stella - this kid has a one of a kind personality to say the least.  To think where we came from the time she was born until she reached the ripe old age of 15 months dumbfounds me.  There were a many of times where I found myself pulling my hair out and crying wondering when she was going to STOP crying.  That period of our lives was rough (more than ROUGH) and while I knew in the back of my head, it had to stop someday, I just didn't know when.  To see her now and how much absolute joy she brings into our lives every day makes me want to shed a tear for all the tears I shed throughout that time.  She is funny (quite the actress), smart and playful.  Our bond has strengthened so much after spending so much quality time together these last few months.  Stella is also attending pre-school two days a week for half a day.  She loves it. 

With all of that said, our daily grind looks something like this now:

5:45 a.m. - Steve gets up, gets ready for work (I usually threaten him if he wakes up the kids, I will kill him!)

6:30 a.m. - Lottie usually wakes up and 9 out of 10 times, wakes Stella up.  Thankfully, they play on their own.  They never come up to our room unless one has been hit, bit, pushed, etc. 

6:45 a.m. - I wake up, shower, get my gym clothes on (glamorous, I know)

7:00 to 8:15 a.m. - Get the girls ready for school (uniform, teeth brushed, breakfast, arguing with Lottie about how she will wear her hair, etc.)

8:20 a.m. - Get the girls in the car, head to grandma's house to park the car.

8:30 a.m. - Walk Lottie to school for a start time of 8:40 a.m.

9:00 a.m. - M, Thurs, Fri. - Stella and I usually either go for a 2 or 3 mile walk/run and then I head back to the new house so that I can start cleaning, washing, and painting.  I am currently working on stripping wallpaper and painting our master bedroom and en suite.  (Gosh, the English love their wallpaper!!!!)  On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I take Stella to pre-school for the morning. 

9:30 a.m. - On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I spend as much time as I can working out at the gym while Stella is at school.  It is the only time throughout the week that I get a little me time!!!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

10:15 - (On Thursdays, Stella and I go to our local library for Wiggly Readers)  It is 30 minutes of singing English songs (none of which I used to know) and reading books.

12:15 p.m. - Pick Stella up from pre-school on Tuesdays and Wednesday!

Throughout the day, I swear I never sit down, it is all about making this new house a home for us!

2:40 p.m. - Get Stella in the car and drive to grandma's house to park the car. 

3:00 p.m. - Walk to get Lottie from school.

3:15 p.m. - Spend a little time with grandma and granddad. 

4:00 p.m. - Get back to the new house for homework, kid's dinner, baths, play time, etc.

5:30 p.m. - Steve usually gets home

7:30 p.m. - Read a book to the kids and bed

8:00 p.m. - Mom & Dad's time to catch up throughout what's happened during the day!

Here are a few pics of our days spent through the week in England!!!!!!

 

Time for school! 

 

 

Park days - they have really lovely parks around Whitwick

 

Shopping and strolling with my little tot!

 

Walking home from pre-school with Stella

 

Library time with Stella - her favorite part is when they sing "Old McDonald Had a Farm" - they use puppets and let the kids come up to hold them. 

 

Playing outside the pub!  HA!  The English know how to make both parents and kids have fun!

 

Behind our new house is a lake where we can feed the ducks!

 

Off to school again in her super hero gear for charity!

 

Stella and I singing English kid's songs at the library!

 

Library days....................

 

Finally, how I feel like I spend most days - trying to potty train this kid!!!!!!!!!!!  She is a nightmare!!!  Why do I feel like her sister did everything by the books and was so much easier?  It must a second child thing!!!!  One day at a time T!!!!

 

 

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I know I've been on a blog break, but I have been so busy with the new house.  I promise to post pics soon.  I know everyone keeps asking - bear with me.  Soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  P.S.  We absolutely love our new house!!!!

 

 

The Daily Grind - January 2015

Our Monday through Friday Looks Something Like This................. 

5:30 a.m. 

• Alarm goes off.  I shower, get ready for work, make lunches, make our Nutribullet smoothies for breakfast.
• Steve feeds the girls breakfast in the morning, gets them dressed, teeth brushed and takes them to school every morning.  He manages to get a shower in at some point.  He is pretty much a saint in the mornings.  In the 4 years Lottie has been going to daycare, I have only had to take the girls to school twice. 

6:40 a.m.

• I am out the door and on my way to work.

7:15 a.m.

• Steve takes the girls to daycare and heads to work himself.  He typically works anywhere from 9:00/9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every day.

7:30 a.m.

• I work every day from about 7:15/7:30 a.m. until 3:00/3:15 p.m.  I don't take a lunch break or have any breaks for that matter throughout the day.  Thankfully after having Stella, I was able to work it out with my boss where I can come in early and leave early avoiding a lot of heavy traffic in between.  

3:15 p.m.

• I head to 9Round in Ballantyne.  It is my happy place.  9Round has been such a huge part of my every day routine for over a year.  I am so thankful I found this place.  The owners are wonderful and I leave there every day feeling a little bit stronger.  It is a fun, challenging 30 minute workout that incorporates boxing, kickboxing, MMA and circuit training.  I love doing pad drills with the trainers.  I swear I feel like Rocky Balboa when I'm there!  

4:15 p.m.

• I head to pick up the kids!  I usually spend about 20 minutes or so at their school talking with teachers about their day.  Stella is so cute - she always runs and tackles me in the afternoon with lots of hugs and kisses. 

5:00 p.m.

• We get home and I start dinner for the kids.  It usually consists of a fruit, veggie and protein.  Unfortunately, through the week, we don't get to sit down to a nice family dinner each night. Steve doesn't usually get home until 7:45/8:00 p.m. With that said, the kids eat together and Steve and I eat together.  The kids usually sit down around 5:30 p.m. for dinner.

6:15 p.m.

• Bath time!  These girls love a bath.  They splash water on one another and all over the bathroom floor.  Then, they fight over who's going to play with which mermaid, Barbie, etc.

6:45 p.m.

• I usually start prepping mine and Steve's dinner.  M-Thurs. - it's usually baked tilapia, mixed green salad and half an avocado each.  It's quick, healthy and doesn't require a lot of time away from hanging with the kiddos.

7:00 p.m.

• I finally sit down to read books with Stella.  She is a little book worm.  She loves reading, so we usually sit reading different books for about 30 minutes.  Lottie is really into puzzles at the minute so she usually sits quietly putting them together.  This is truly my favorite part of the day!

7:30 p.m. 

• Brush Stella's teeth and put her to bed.

7:45 p.m.

• Steve gets home and we eat dinner.

8:15 p.m.

• Brush Lottie's teeth, potty and story time.  She has a folder she brings home every day with a reading log and book inside.  She checks out books at school and brings them home to read each night.  Usually, lights are out around 8:30 p.m.

8:45 p.m.

• I usually fold laundry, get my gym bag ready for the next day, get the kid's school stuff ready, etc.  Sometimes I manage to watch 30 or 40 minutes of t.v. with Steve.  

9:30 p.m.

• I usually start making my way to the bedroom so that I can read for 30 minutes before dozing off.  

Then we do it all over again the next day!  I know our daily grind won't always be this way.  At some point down the road, there will be gymnastics, dance, sports, homework, swimming lessons, etc. thrown into the mix.  So, for now, I will appreciate our current schedule / routine through the week because the older they get, the busier we will be.