List Day: 10 Family Routines

1. Rebecca tries to get to a yoga class on Friday evening and Saturday morning while I watch the kids. She then takes the kids to Riverside Church and the Farmer's Market on Sunday mornings while I get my own downtime.


2. We've had a regular babysitter who helps us about one afternoon per week (or a weekend date night) when not enjoying her retirement driving around the country. The kids love her!


3. After Rebecca picks Maia up from the school bus in the afternoon, Maia has an afternoon snack, some no-people downtime, and then usually heads outside to play with the neighborhood kids in the street or the yard (mainly with bikes, chalk, or balls).


4. Ian will always run to the bookshelf and start reading after waking up, even before eating breakfast or afternoon snack.


5. I try to get out to our main cross-street (Lillard) to do trash pickup and ivy trim-back once a week. I used to pick up trash at more locations but narrowed down to this one in easy walking distance, and I'm okay with not being able to get it all.


6. One or both of Rebecca's parents usually come out for an afternoon visit with the kids roughly once a week.


7. Maia spends a weekend with my parents every one to two months. She gets to do all the fun DC stuff and play with all of their untouched toys.


8. I insert my exercise time into the middle of my work day whenever I need a "brain break". Rebecca takes a walk or does yoga each night when the kids are put to bed while I play video games. After we've each had a little of our own downtime, we'll get together to play a board game or watch TV together.


9. Amber spends all day sleeping on the couch or the guest bed, then gets put into the storage room each night so she doesn't wake up the entire household with hear deaf yowls.


10. We have family dinners with all four of us (sans Amber) three nights a week. On the two nights that Rebecca works, I host a "reading" dinner where everyone can read quietly over their food instead of talking.