Mommy Monday: a day in the life of a single working mom

Today's post is a little bit different. People tell me all the time, "I don't know how you do it!", and shake their heads. As a single mom with twin 3-year-olds, a full-time job as an elementary music teacher, and the side project that is this blog (and all the other online pieces that connect to it), yes, I am busy. The short answer to how I do it all: routines and planning. The long answer? Well that might take a while. Today I wanted to give you a glimpse into my life by giving you the blow-by-blow from a randomly selected day: last Thursday. Some things are typical, others are out of the ordinary. But let's face it: it's hard to find a day that is completely "typical". So here's the run-down. I'll put some thoughts/comments at the end of the post.

3:30am: I'm awake before my alarm, but there's no going back to sleep- my mind is already racing. Might as well lie in bed and check all the bajillion emails that came in while I was asleep.
4:00: Alarm goes off. Go start my coffee, then hop in the shower.
4:20: Sit down with coffee, bagel, and my daily devotional reading.
4:45: Get my computer. Write some emails, update my Facebook page, check store sales (we're having a sale today!)
5:15: Get out planner and go over lesson plan book. I missed school yesterday because the kids were sick, so I have to adjust some of my lesson plans to make up the classes I missed.
5:30: Get dressed, pack lunch, finish getting ready for work. Text mom, nanny, and kids' dad to discuss today's plans, since kids are still sick and can't go to nanny's house. Agree their dad will pick up at 7 so I can go to work.
6:00: Kids get up. Snuggle and sit around while everyone wakes up. Assess their health: still runny noses and coughs.
6:20: Talk to the kids abut the day's plans. Good thing we're not going to the nanny's. We would need to be out the door by now, but they're still refusing to take off their pajamas.
6:30: Start getting the kids dressed, give them some cheerios to snack on, field texts from mom, nanny, and kids' dad.
7:00: Kids leave with their dad, They're clingy but seem happy to get some fresh air.
7:10: Take a deep breath. Clean up the toys, realize I have nothing planned for dinner because our afternoon plans have shifted, forget again, and leave for work.
7:20: Get to work. Clean up classroom from the mess left from having a sub. Try to figure out what the sub did, because the materials I left for them to do are untouched.
8:00: Students arrive. Teach two 3rd grade, one 4th grade, and two kindergarten classes.
11:35: Lunch. I've got to eat at my desk so I can keep working on the paperwork for the upcoming all-district honors choir concert.
12:20: Teach two 1st grade classes and a 6th grade class, then go downstairs for bus duty.
3:15: Students are gone. Pack up my classroom and head to another elementary school for a fine arts department meeting. I'm going to need to tell the department chair I have to leave on time- I need to pick up the kids from their dad's house.
4:15: Leave the meeting, which is just getting started. Oh well, this is when my single mom card comes in handy, right?
4:30: Pick up the kids. They are cranky, both feel warm, and the more they cry the more their noses run, which makes them cry more. Buckle them into their car seats, get them calmed down so we can leave.
5:00: Get home. Remember that I don't have anything for dinner. Start running through my list of foods I can pull out.
5:30: Dinner. We've got sweet potato, frozen peas, kiwi, and fried eggs.
6:00: Clean up the dishes while the kids are playing.
6:15: Play with the kids for a while.
6:45: Clean up toys, brush teeth, get kids changed into pajamas.
7:00: Read a couple of books, sing a couple of songs, lights out.
7:30: Turn on my heated blanket on my bed, finish cleaning up dishes, text people about options for tomorrow's child care.
7:45: Check email, blog, Pinterest, Facebook.
8:00: Crawl into bed.

That was my day! Obviously having sick kids is not typical, nor was our morning routine. Normally, the kids are up at 6am and we are in the car by 6:30, at the nanny's house by 7:00, and I arrive at work around 7:30.

One thing to note: I have always been a morning person. My morning wake up has definitely shifted earlier since having kids, but I really need that alone time in the morning! When I don't get it I am totally thrown off all morning. I need time to process everything that happened the day before and prepare for the new day that's about to begin.

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into my day! :)