The Taynors

The Taynors

Friday, November 17, 2017

Life in the Taynor House - Fall 2017

I wanted to do a "day in the life" post, but our lives are so different from day to day that it wouldn't really give me  (future me who is looking back to ready these and remember what life was like) a true picture.  So instead I am going to do a highlight real-  this is what is going on in our home right now.

Ryan is 6.5, Patrick is 3.5, Thomas is 4 months, and I will be 35 next week (eek)

-Ryan is in 1st grade and loves it.  He got the BEST teacher that I could have asked for him this year.  He loves math, doesn't quite love site words or spelling yet, but he does love to write his own stories and being read to.  Currently the sentences in his story are rough- most works not spelled correctly and most barely recognizable, but the effort is there and I am encouraging the creativity.  I am one of the class moms with two other moms.  Its a big job I am coming to find out.  But the other women I am doing it with are pros so I am following their lead.  I volunteered for the job because I like to be involved with party planning because of Ryan's food allergies.  And I know he really likes having me be an active role in his class.

-Ryan played soccer and baseball this Fall.  He really liked both but became baseball obsessed! He loves playing it, talking about it, and watching it.  Lucky for us the Yankees had a great season- Aaron Judge rookie season, won the home run derby, hit the most home runs ever by a rookie, and the Yankees were only 1 game away from going to the World Series.  We have had a lot of fun rooting them on this Summer and Fall.

-Ryan is also becoming such an elementary school kid- saying things like "totally!" and "Boys go to college to get more knowledge, girls go to jupiter to get more stupider" and wanted to explain to me what the middle finger means "I promise I won't do it Mom, but what does it mean?"  His favorite words that make him sound so old are quite and often.  "I quite like my sleep" and "i often call out in class". Also his Christmas wish list has gone from lots and lots of toys to only a few things and all technology based- a phone (insert eye roll), a video game headset, xbox one, some lego game that you can play through the system. He walks around the house always pretending to be playing baseball, or kicking the soccer ball, or throwing the football up and catching it.  But he still loves to cuddle, and loves to be read to at bed time, and gives me lots of hugs and love every day.

-Patrick is a 3 year old boy.  If you have ever had a 3 year old boy you know what I mean.  There is a lot of rage, and a lot of cuteness, and a lot of stubborn, and a lot of frustration, and a lot of goofy.  Just a lot of all emotions.  He is developing a personality of his own and his emotions run wild!  But he is sooooo stinkin cute that he knows he can get away with murder.  He is learning to spell his name and finally interested in learning his letters.  He asks a million questions and talks non stop. He says cute things that melt my heart like randomly saying "you are the sweetest mom in the world".  He is rough and aggressive and says inappropriate things.  Potty talk is his favorite conversation. He loves to get dirty and jump in muddy puddles.  Meltdowns come frequently.  Just a normal 3 year old boy!

-Patrick goes to pre-school MWF full days, he play soccer on Saturday mornings, and he goes to visit Grandma and Grandpa on Thursdays most weeks.  He is actually very good at soccer, he has a decent amount of natural talent.  But if he gets frustrated or doesn't think he is doing well, he is quick to quit.  We are working on getting him to build his confidence and keep playing even when its hard.

-I started back to work in Real Estate officially right after school started in September.  I am still on maternity leave for Coombs Chiropractic, and still debating if I will return or not (that decisions needs to be made like last week).  But with real estate I work office hours all day Monday, and half day Wednesday, and then schedule all my other appointments and open houses in the evenings and weekends.  Its been challenging because as I am starting to build up some serious buyers, I need to be available at the drop off the hat.  Finding last minute child care has been the hardest part.  This week for example, Mike is traveling for work and I had a client who needed to see homes two nights in a row.  So I reached out to every babysitter I knew to try to get coverage for an hour each night.  And getting a babysitter for 3 kids at dinner time during a week night is not easy.  They are entering into my home during the most chaotic time of day.  But both nights we made it work.  Then I do my computer work and get caught up on contacts at night after the kids are in bed.  I am really enjoying the job and can see a great career in real estate, but right now I just need to find my grove on how to handle child care when I need to be out of the house.

- I am also still doing wedding hair, can't give it up the money is too good.  And I like to do it when life isn't as crazy as it is right now.  2017 was pretty slow with the pregnancy and new baby, but I am already booking lots of weddings for 2018.  I am excited because we can use the boost in extra income!

-Mike has been in this new position since February and its going well, he loves the job, but its WAY more travel then we anticipated.  Just this past month for example he was away for 16 our of 30 nights.  And even when he is working at his regular office, the hours are super long.  He leaves before the kids get up and gets home just in time to kiss them goodnight.  This has been by far our hardest adjustment to having a new baby at home, is the addition of his crazy work schedule.  I don't have the second person to back me up.  When two kids need to be in two different places, I need to figure it out alone.  At dinner time when kids are cranky and needy, I'm on my own putting food on the table and trying to meet their needs.  When Ryan has a baseball game or soccer practice, I am taking all 3 kids with me. So its hard.  I am tired.  And Mike misses his family.  We know this isn't a long term job position, we just need to get through this step on the career ladder, but I am not gonna lie, I am ready for a change.

-Our weekends have entered the crazy zone.  A Saturday normally includes 2 soccer games, a baseball game,  and a kids birthday party. Sundays I try to work an open house, or we have a family event, or we try to do something as a family since its the only time we are all home together.  September and October were nutso.  I am kind of looking forward to the winter weather because we will get a break from sports and less outdoor activities... we can hibernate as a family a little bit (or at least thats what I am hoping for).

-Thomas has been a pretty typical easy 3rd child.  He just tags along in all that we do.  He has already been on rainy soccer fields, and spent all day in and out of the car.  He goes to parties and play dates and meetings at the school.  He has even been on some home showings with me.  Pretty much wherever I go, he goes.  And luckily right now he goes with the flow and always makes people smile wherever we go.  

- A general normal day- I am up with Thomas in and out of sleep from 5am-7am.  Mike leaves for work sometime in that time frame.  The boys get up by 7 and we start our get ready for school routine.  We all leave at 8:45 to drop Patrick off at school, then I swing around and drop Ryan off at school.  Then depending on the day I either go to work, run errands, clean the house, catch up on the ever mounting to-do list until about 2:30.  Pick Patrick up at 3:00.  Get home to get Ryan off the bus at 4:15.  Eat dinner between 4:30-5.  Go to whatever the after school activity is at 5:30-6:30/7.  Home for bath, snack, bedtime.  Mike gets home at bedtime.  We get all kids settled by 8pm (on a good night).  Then 8-10pm catch up on adult conversation, computer work, clean up from the day, prep lunches for the next day, and maybe spend 5 minutes on the couch with TV before we go to bed.  Then start it all over again the next day. 

-My days and thoughts revolve around sleep.  Did he nap? Will he nap? When will he wake up? Is he asleep for the night? How long do i have before next wake up?  4 month olds are exhausting.

- Lots of fun events the past couple months.  My Dad's 60th birthday at the race track.  The twins 4th birthday, Thomas's baptism, Micky's 60th birthday.  Michelle is due with her baby in December and we recently found out Matt and Laura are expecting their first in April.  We visited our NC friends and halloween festivities are this week.  We just booked our Disney vacation for April, this week is the 180  day mark to make dining reservations.  Lots of great stuff!

-The basement project is 99% finished!  Woo hoo!  And we are starting to use it to entertain.  People hung out down there during the baptism because it was a million degrees out.  We had new friends from Ryan's baseball team come over for a football Sunday a few weeks ago.  We are planning a Frankie fight night/Christmas party for the beginning of December.  Its a great space and I am sooooo happy the project is finally complete. 

I think that sums up the highlights of our world right now.  Its crazy but I know I'll miss it one day.

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