I was going to wait until I was back to “normal” before recording the events of my “normal” day, but let’s face it – this is my new normal.

FRIDAY {01.20.12}:

8:45am – Heard the kids up and playing. Went back to sleep.

10:00am – Jenny asked if they could go downstairs to watch cartoons and eat breakfast. I said OK and went back to sleep.

10:45am – J got up {he is off on Fridays}, so I did too. I checked my email on my iPhone, clearing the clutter from my inbox and leaving the few emails I needed to act on.

{Just Woke Up}

{10 Minutes Later}

11:15am – I’m dressed, our sheets are in the washer {it’d been a few months – eww}, and I decided to fry up a few eggs for my breakfast.

While the eggs are cooking, I decided to make some French bread for dinner tonight. I pulled out the ingredients and put them in the bread machine.

The kids end up eating half of the eggs I made {I made four} and my eggs are cold by the time I get to them.

11:45am – I head to my office and turn on my computer. Since I didn’t do my GMG Ephesians study yesterday, I did two days worth of SOAP notes before checking my email.

After a quick check of email, taking action on the emails that required my action, I checked Facebook and Twitter {via HootSuite} to see if I needed to respond to anything.

I had a giveaway to pick a winner on, two posts to promote via Facebook and Twitter, and a number of linkups to join.

I took a few minutes to comment on and promote a few other posts at the various linkups while answering requests from my kids and husband.

The laundry was done in the washer and needed to be switched. I folded the towels in the dryer, grabbed the pile of sweaters waiting to go upstairs, and put them all away. While upstairs, I decided to strip the sheets and blankets from the kids’ beds to wash.

12:30pm – Back in my office, I set the timer on my iPhone for five minutes and write my post for Five Minute Fridays. After finding a picture on Flickr for the post, I publish it, link it up, and start browsing the other posts linked up.

The kids have started asking for lunch {even though they’ve already had three mini-meals in the last three hours}. I distract them, and Jenny decides to practice her piano songs for a few minutes.

1:45pm -  Since we’ll be eating dinner in four hours or so, I decided they probably didn’t need another meal, so gave them some animal crackers for a snack while I made myself a chicken salad sandwich.

2:00pm – I sent David off to his room for naptime, and Jenny and I headed to the office to do some school. I stopped in the laundry room to switch their bedding to the dryer.

We did a few worksheets together and she worked on a few on her own while I responded to emails and started this post.

{During school, Jenny works independently while I work at my desk. I try to use this time to respond to emails, write upcoming blog posts, visit other blogs, and other blogging stuff – nothing too involved so I’m available to help her as she has questions.}

3:15pm – I took a break while Jenny was working on her worksheets to work on dinner prep. I whipped up a box of brownies and preheated my bread pan.

{Normally, dinner prep either happens while making lunch – crockpot meals – or at dinnertime, but we had company coming for dinner, and my lasagna needed two full hours to cook, plus I needed to bake brownies and bread.}

3:30pm – Jenny’s starting to lose focus, so I have to take a more hands-on teaching approach to help her get her schoolwork finished for the day.

4:00pm – Leave Jenny working on a math worksheet to put the lasagna in the oven, form the loaves, clean three bathrooms, set the table, sweep the floor, and assist with math as needed.

4:45pm – Collapse into my desk chair to check email and social media.

5:30pm – Last minute dinner preparations {i.e. bake the bread, finish setting the table, etc.} – friends are scheduled to arrive any time now!

6:00pm – Friends arrive for dinner.

7:15pm – Remake the kids’ beds and put them to bed.

7:30pm – Rejoin friends for a movie (Courageous).

9:30pm – Our friends leave, so J helps shovel them out {we got four inches of snow while they were here} while I clean up dinner and the kitchen.

10:15pm – Check email and social media before bed.

10:30pm – Remake our bed, change into my pajamas, and settle in for the night (read and watch tv for a bit before sleep).

And that, my friends, is a day in the life of Ashley Pichea.

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When I originally planned to write this post, I’d planned to either take pictures or vlog throughout the day, but life happened. The photos in this post were actually taken on Tuesday {01.24.12} at 12pm when I finally crawled out of bed.

This truly is representative of my life at this point – unless I have outside obligations in the morning, I’m doing well to be out of bed before 10:30am. Definitely something I’m trying to work on.

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