31 Things :: Story 10 - Evening

5:00pm  ::  Start cooking dinner. But more than likely I’m looking to see what/if I had planned, and if I remembered to take the meat out of the freezer. Probably not.

5:10pm  ::  Call Jeff to see what time he will be home from work. Ideally he’s left already, and should be home by 6:30pm. But more than likely, he doesn’t answer his phone because he’s in a meeting.

5:30pm :: Sean has started to pick up his toys without being asked. Oh, who am I kidding? He’s whining and crying about having to pick up his toys, and I’m giving him the choice to leave them for me to pick up but then they get put into the basement. He cries more. I grit my teeth.

5:45pm :: Ideally dinner is in the oven cooking. But honestly right about now is when Jeff calls me back to say he’ll be home by 7pm. Worst case scenario I forgot to take meat out of the freezer, and we debate where to get takeout.

6:00pm :: Sean still whining about picking up his toys

7:00pm ::  Say grace. Eat dinner. Talk about our day. It’s one of my favorite times. I can unwind and enjoy talking with the two people I love the most in the whole world.

7:30pm :: At the beginning of the week, I go back to work and Jeff spends time with Sean and puts him to bed. At the end of the week, that’s my duty. Bedtime is unfortunately not at a regular time. It can be as early as 7:30 if Sean is particularly cranky and tired. Or it can be as late as 9pm if he took an unexpected nap. The good news is once he goes to bed, he stays in bed. We’re lucky not to have to deal with bedtime battles.

Bedtime routine ::  Potty, wash hands, brush teeth, bedtime story or two, prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be + daily thanks/praise and petitions),  goodnight kisses, turn on musical lullabies, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Sean replies, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the Tyrannosaurus bite.”

8:00pm ::  By now I usually feel exhausted and want to go to bed, but I always have something I want to do which usually equates to “me” time. Catching up on emails & facebook, watching a TV show I recorded, downloading and editing photos, digital scrapbooking, etc. Whatever it is I get energized by it, and my exhaustion fades away.

10:25pm :: I tell myself only a little bit more of {insert whatever I’m working on}…  I’m giving myself until 11:00pm, and then I’m calling it a day.

11:15pm  ::  I convince myself I’m not even tired, and that midnight is more reasonable.

Midnight :: I drag my butt into bed, and start reading to calm my mind. I tell myself I’m only going to read until 12:15pm… but we know how that goes!