We have settled in to the fall routine, I think, with a switch-up in our evening plan for most nights. Since Alex has band practice Mon, Tues, and Thurs until 7:15 (he arrives at home by about 7:45 after putting his instrument away and finding his ride), we are eating dinner like the Europeans!
And snacking a lot between 5:30 and 8. ;)
I haven't quiiiite figured out how best to manage MY time in-between, besides snacking and reading the daily newspaper/working the crossword and sudoku. If Kate has homework, she does that (or more likely, goes up to her room with her iPad to FaceTime a friend while supposedly doing homework). It's interesting that 1), she is in her room, away from me (she used to hate being by herself upstairs if I was downstairs), and 2) she is on the phone like a proper tweenager, right on time. She really gets most homework done in Aftercare, and that's fine with me. We have set wi-fi timers on her devices, so after 7pm she doesn't have access. But last night she wanted to learn a song on her ukelele, and the way she does that is via YouTube videos. I can't not encourage learning! Musical learning, at that! So I let her use my phone (after MAKING her practice piano first, which she was not happy about. I told her I PAY for piano, so that takes priority. She was unconvinced and will make a great lawyer one day).
It's a weird time-interval in the day, at any rate.
I have been known to get in a workout during that time, and it's useful to have an extra half-hour there, in case I just CAN'T get out of bed at 5:30 a.m.
What I really need to do is invite my neighbor over for WINE ON THE PORCH every evening. We've been wanting to do that for ages. Lately it's just too hot, but fingers crossed the summer will wither here shortly and we can enjoy the outdoors again.
I have had time to make meals. And banana bread. And salsa. This week:
Sun - Spaghetti, caesar salad, garlic knots
Mon - Sausage, broccoli, potatoes roasted on sheet pans
Tues - Taco night! with homemade salsa! We have friends who keep giving us giant bags of jalepenos and banana peppers
Wed - Baked chicken thighs, green beans and wild rice
Thu - gotta go with fast food - it's Meet and Greet night at both schools, plus band practice pick-up and one other thing that we're skipping!
Fri - first football game! Hot Dogs at the game, I hope! :)
