A Day in Our life

Life here on Terceira is very different from the life I lead as a mom in Eglin. Very different from the life I lead as a mom in Turkey as well.

Firstly, we live off-Base. This is the first time I have ever lived off-Base. A trip to Lajes Field takes about ten minutes. But it is far enough that I don't go up more than once or twice a week. When I do go I try to combine multiple things that I have to do.

I am throughly enjoying staying at home and not doing too much. I have no desire to venture away from our oceanside resort. Every morning I wake up and look out my open window. I can see the waves rolling off the shore, the wind gently blowing the trees and plants in our garden, and I have no interest in trying to retreat to anywhere else. I am already retreated.

I only plan on being involved in two major activities. The first is MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers). There is currently no MOPs group on the island. This happened a bit randomly. I happened to run into a woman at the chapel who was hoping to get a group started, and somehow, I have taken the reins on this as the Coordinator. The second thing we are going to get involved in is Awanas -- a Bible School for the boys on Tuesday evenings. This will start with school in September.

Also, there is church. We have been debating whether to try an off-Base church (there are a few very small English-speaking churches off-Base) or just stick with the Base chapel. We have decided to wait until August when they are supposed to be starting a contemporary service on Base that offers both nursery and Sunday school during service. No other services, currently, either on or off of the Base offer nursery and Sunday school which means that we would have to have 1 or 3 kids in service with us. There is not a cry room either! So we are hoping that August will provide us with an option in that regard.

But that's the weekends. And this post is going to stick to the weekdays. Excuse me as I regroup.

So what is a typical weekday at our house like now?

• Early morning: The morning begins around 7am here at our house. (Which is the best it has been in four years! I used to beg to sleep until 7am.) On Tuesdays and Thursdays JB leaves around 8am. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays he is at mandatory PT (physical training) at 6am. He gets home around 8am and is with us until 10am. From 7am-9am we are having breakfast, changing clothes, feeding the dog, preparing for our day either with or without Daddy here. This is usually a pretty hectic time for me.
• Abigail naptime: From about 9-11am Abigail is napping. Her nap can varry from just one hour to over two. During this time, I try to spend individual time with the boys. If Hita is there (Wednesdays), we might go over to the beach and dig in the sand or go for a walk. I try to read with them and get chores done that I can't do when Abigail is awake. I will have them play individually and play with the other one, etc. We will have a snack around 10am. Here is a video featuring the type of thing we do when Abigail is napping.
• Post morning nap: Once Abigail wakes up, it is usually time for me to start prepping for, feeding, and cleaning up lunch. But if I can, I like to try and go for a walk or do something active if she is up early enough to not conflict with lunch. On Tuesdays and Thursdays JB comes home for a long lunch which is wonderful. Here is a video of the boys entertaining themselves while I work on lunch.
• Nap time: All three kiddos go down for naps around 1:30-2pm. Prior to naps, we've been trying to take the time to clean up and get the house in order before we go down, if we can. Abigail always falls asleep right away. One boy sleeps in their room. The other boy sleeps in my room and they switch every day. I usually have them rest for 1.5-2 hours even if they don't sleep (which lately at least one of them does not). During nap time, I hang out in the upstairs living room. Sometimes I try to rest. If not, I usually try to sit down and relax. I read or more often do my blogging, writing, or emailing.
• Post afternoon nap: Everyone starts waking up between 4pm and 5pm and it will be 1-2 hours before JB gets home. (He has been getting home around 5:30pm). We usually hang out upstairs in the living room during this time for a change of scenery before heading downstairs and preparing for JB's return home. This video: Summersaults shows the type of thing that is going on upstairs after everyone is awake from their naps.
• JB home time: Once JB gets home, he usually works on dinner with Sidge. We usually eat outside on the porch. Abigail goes to bed around 7pm but the boys have been going to bed closer to 8pm.