Good morning! It’s Tuesday, it’s quite early, and I’m trying to figure out what my new routines should look like in our new home. Thus far, I have been failing to reach my prior level of AM productivity, but I suspect it’s a matter of figuring out the sweet spot of exactly how early I need to wake up.
One might think that being closer mileage-wise to work would give me more time rather than less. Also, I’m done pumping! I should feel incredibly time-rich, shouldn’t I? Every day should feel like an incredible victory where I get ALLLL the things done and have time and energy to spare to read, write, and play around with fancy Japanese stationery products (as one does).
But . . . apparently adjusting to new everything does not quite work like that. Let’s analyze the change in AM routine:
Previous AM routine:
5:00 or so – UP. Sometimes feed G early depending on her routine. Run with stroller or work out. Write post if time. Household managements. When the magic happened. And some me-time if G asleep.
6:45 or so – big kids UP. Breakfast with them. Rather relaxed.
7:30 or so – nanny arrives and helps kids finish getting ready while I finish getting ready
7:50 or so – leave for work. Commute = 40 min. Podcast or music. Arrive at 8:30. G (our nanny) took kids to school leaving around 8:10.
This did not always go perfectly – sometimes there was traffic making my commute closer to an hour (and then I’d be late, which sucked) and sometimes G was late because her commute was quite far, too.
Current AM routine:
5:30 or so – UP. Not quite in my morning groove yet. Catch up on 398743 administrative-type tasks that come with moving. Sometimes write post/work on new site. G has been getting up early about half the time (before 6).
7:00 or so – big kids up. They are more tired in the new home for whatever reason – maybe the light doesn’t come into their new room, or maybe it’s just the exhaustion of Everything New.
7:15 – nanny arrives. Her commute is much shorter but school starts earlier, so I moved her time up by 15 minutes (goal is to finish 15 min earlier at 5:45 pm, too). FRANTIC RUSH FOR EVERYONE TO GET OUT THE DOOR. Mondays, I have an early start at work and left at 7:18, making it 2 minutes late for morning report (after sending an email Friday afternoon to our residents asking them to please be on time. Oy.)
7:35 on non-Mondays – I take Annabel to school (though I have decided I am going to alternate kids, b/c her drop-off is much longer and also – must be fair to Cameron!). WAIT FOREVER IN CARPOOL LINE. Actual drop-off at 7:58 am. Drive to work and arrive at 8:30, so basically I’m spending more time in the car and have more of a morning rush than I ever did.
Sigh.
I think the answer is:
- Getting up earlier. I really really really really really crave my organization/posting/writing time and a workout. If that means getting up at 4 am on weekdays, I should get up at 4 on weekdays. Today I tried 4:30. So far, so good. I haven’t heard G yet.
- Alternating A & C drop-offs. C’s drop-off will be quick, so I can leave the same time A does and get to work on the early side those days for some catch-up time.
One lovely thing about the move is that I do have hope that I can build routines that work – after all, I’m starting from scratch! There is no real precedent. I do believe that I can make my mornings work for me again; it’s just a matter of tweaking. And an early-enough wakeup . . .
Off to get my (early) run on!
Blog updates:
- Amanda has assured me the font size can change! So please know the readability should improve soon. I absolutely think it’s too small on the computer (not as bad on the phone which is how MANY of you are reading now, but still, I want a nice computer experience!).
- I am going to work on a newsletter/subscription option! Stay tuned for that!
- I really want to get back to posting close to daily! So hopefully . . . see you tomorrow.
- Currently, comment moderation is on because I’m getting a lot of spam. I’m not trying to censor you all (never have!). Trying to figure out how to best manage this on wordpress, but hopefully once Disqus is installed it will not be an issue.
8 Comments
I love your January mission board 🙂
I know you’ll figure out the pieces of the morning routine soon – give yourself grace!
I used to have a crazy long commute so my husband did all the kid-transportation in the mornings, and it’s amazing how now that I live 15 minutes from work, I often get there later because I’m dealing with kid logistics! But it is definitely worth it. =)
Can you get the kid’s bedroom alarm clocks that mimic sun rise by gradually increasing the level of light? Does help if new room does not get rising sun and also if latitude means rising in dark during winter months. Try to get one where ugly annoying alarm noise can be turned OFF.
It’s hard to wrap my head around an alarm clock when I had early risers for so long! But yes, that’s a good idea!
I admire your energy and enthusiasm! Remind yourself that routines are always a work in progress and you’ll set it up for success!
I’m curious about the school drop off (I’m in NZ so not familiar with it) – is there a literal huge long line of cars where the kids can only get out at a certain place, and once in the line you can’t exit till you get to the front? Do some parents faff around and not kick the kids out quickly? Or is it such a long line it takes ages to get through it? It sounds like a nightmare!
Yep.
At the old school, this wasn’t a thing. I’d just drive from home (approx 3 minutes), park (almost always a spot), walk 1 block with her, and done.
This school has inadequate parking and is more overcrowded and does a drop off/pick up line only. You can’t park and walk in your child. And no bus where I live (I guess too close, but kind of funny since it’s a half hour drop off process!)
You could do A drop off and C drop off once a week. As you were rarely able to do it before this will give you more time with them but won’t take all your morning time and stick it into school drop offs. I just think you don’t want to establish that you do it almost every day because then next year when C goes to the school you will have the long line more days! Just a thought. Love the new site.