A typical summer day

I figured I would record what our days mostly look like so I can reference back to this next summer.  A lot of people ask me how I do it with 3 small kids and we usually look together most of the time.  I feel our summer has been great and I'm not going insane at all!  One of the reasons we are successful at getting out and doing a lot is because I'm very structured and my kids know what to expect from beginning to end (most of the time).  Before summer started, I prepared a daily schedule to help keep us on track.  Here's a typical day in the life of the Hantla clan:

5:45-7:30 Katie wakes up, exercises, quiet time, shower and dressed
7:30-8:15 I wake the kids up, diaper change, potty, and then breakfast
8: 15-8:30 Kids play while I clean up the kitchen and then kids dressed
8:30-9:00 Praise and worship time
9:00-9:30 Learning time
9:30-10:00 TV or play time (I use this time to get stuff ready for our outing for the day)
10:00 GO OUT (this changes each day, but rarely is a day where we stay at home)
11:30 to 12:30 Lunch is somewhere in there
1:00 W goes down for nap (R&A watch TV or read)
1:30 R&A down for nap
4:00 everyone wakes up and snack time

Usually B comes home during snack time and we have family time for the rest of the evening.

Our days have been awesome.  They might not follow the times exactly, but we usually always have the designated activities.  We might change up learning for puzzles or reading. I've blogged about Go Fish before, and I've taught the kids Amazing Grace , How Great Thou Art, and Lord, I Lift Your Name on High. The kids enjoy music time and ask me to play songs over and over again.  We will do all the motions, dance, and sing.  When it's time to head out for our day, the big kids go potty before we leave while I start cherry and get it loaded with whatever bags we need for the day.  We typically will: go to Joyner for play & picnic, go to a pool and picnic, story-time, lunch, sprinklers, free movie at Wakefield, spray-ground & picnic, jumping beans & picnic, Marbles & picnic lunch.  Most days we have a picnic out somewhere and get back for naps.  I need to point out that we are always meeting other friends.  I have 2 other teacher moms, 2 stay at home moms, and 1 part time working mom that I usually meet.  In the event it's raining or cloudy, we might come home and eat lunch.  If there is nothing planned or our plans get changed for some reason, we have stuff to keep us busy at home like chalk, bubbles, painting, coloring, play-dough, and of course, all the toys they have. 

So for anyone who wonders how I  manage 3 kids aged 3, 2, and 1 alone everyday throughout the summer and we have awesome days....or for me next summer when I'll do the same thing again....I'll be able to read this for tips. 

working on puzzles

W plays while R&A work on puzzles

all done with this one and ready for another

These are the 9 puzzles they did between the 2 of them

sprinklers at the mall

all kids here are in our group

my 3 are the ones squatting down...funny they are all doing that

catching bubbles after story-time at the library