Meet Julie!

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I’ve turned into a morning person.

HI! I’m so excited to be a part of FCMB in 2015. I have some great ideas to share with you, so please come back and visit. To kick it off, here’s an average “day in the life,” so you can get a better idea about the chaos I live with and love!

4:40am – My alarm goes off, and I press snooze once. Is it really time to get up already? 

4:49 – The alarm, again? I stumble out of bed, get dressed in a semi-lit bathroom, fill my water bottle and sneak out of the house… as quietly as humanly possible.

5:00-6:00 – I attempt to gain sanity for the day through a little cardio and strength training. When I’m motivated, this involves treadmill sprints and some HIIT, otherwise it involves catching up on Homeland while planted on the elliptical. Okay, fine, it’s usually the latter. My New Year’s Resolution is to mix it up more.

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A little spin. A little catching up on TV…

6:10-6:30 – After returning home from the gym, I get myself ready. I shower, get dressed, do hair and makeup (minimal). I cut (and donated) eleven inches of my hair a few months ago, so now this part of the routine takes considerably less time, for which I am eternally grateful.

6:30-7:00 – Fingers crossed that the kids are still asleep. I finish packing lunches for both of my children, and put together milk and five (5!) bottles for the baby. (Who is Dr. Brown and why are there so many parts to his bottles?) Also I make breakfast so it’s ready for my children who are ravenous when they wake up. They are like wolves who haven’t eaten in a year. Seriously!

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So many things to remember!

7:00-7:30 – CHAOS. Absolute chaos. I wake both children. This is usually a ten minute process for my 3.5 year old who at this time of the morning resembles a pubescent boy with his remorse for being disturbed. “Mommy! Get out of my room! Right this minute! Turn off the light and close the door! I. JUST. WANT. TO. SLEEP. I said NOW.” This is when I mutter something about needing to go to bed earlier in the evenings. The baby is up and bright-eyed almost immediately. Clothing and feeding both children takes the majority of this half hour. This is especially true now that the baby wants to feed himself. That usually means another change of clothes.

7:30 – We are out the door. Daycare drop-off involves unpacking items while making sure the other one year olds don’t escape the classroom, but still keeping an eye on the preschooler causing trouble in the hallway.

7:40 – I drive to work singing, “This Land is Your Land” or “Shake it Off” on repeat.

7:55 – I drop my 3.5 year old off in his early classroom and do ten, “one more hugs and kisses,” before heading to my own classroom and finally (!) sitting down.

8:00 – I fire up the computer, pull up my to-do lists and get ready for the day!

8:15-4:05 – Work!!! Aside from teaching, this involves multiple cups of coffee, a trip across campus to pick up a van for sports, coaching (field hockey and paddle), lunch, an afternoon yogurt, two recesses, a few meetings, and TONS of emails.

4:15 – Time to pick up the big boy from his extended day classroom across campus and begin job #2. I pick up the baby from daycare and hope he’s avoided allergic reactions, diaper rash and whatever sickness is making its way through his classroom.

4:45 – We arrive home, unpack bags and check the schedule for a dinner plan. If it’s not arctic winter or dark already, we walk the dog before dinner. This hasn’t happened in a while…

5:00-6:00 – I navigate between playing, doing laundry, cleaning up, cooking dinner, and responding to any urgent (!) emails.

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Love crockpot dinners!

6:00 – Dinner. News. Vacuum. Jeopardy. A bath thrown in there somewhere.

7:30 – It’s bedtime for the baby. Dishes. Cleaning. Organizing.

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Epitome of multi-tasking. Taking an on-line class and putting away the dishes…

8:00 – Then bedtime for the preschooler. (I try to make as much of the lunches as humanly possible to do ahead of time.)

9:00 – Finally bedtime for Mommy and Daddy. The baby will be up sometime between 2 and 3. (No, he is’t sleeping through the night yet).

In my life there is a fine line between routine and a scene out of Groundhog Day! Can anyone else relate?

Previous articleMeet Melissa :: A Mama In Transition
Next articleMeet Jackie!
Julie P
Julie is a full-time 5th grade teacher, full-time mommy, part-time runner and resident of Ridgefield! Originally from Colorado, she grew up in SW Fairfield County and got married in 2008. They spent a few years south of the Mason-Dixon, got a dog, and returned to CT to raise their family. A former collegiate tennis player, she loves staying active and finding ways to get outside with her two boys (Oliver - February 2011 and Miles - October 2013). When she's not grading papers, playing racecars, or training for a race, Julie is trying to cook healthy meals for her (picky) family, keep their golden retriever out of trouble, take photos, stay organized and save some money to buy a fixer-upper.

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