Monday, June 8, 2009

A Day in the Life of Lily

As Sarah mentioned, we were talking about having a balanced life earlier (we were actually IMing) and I was expressing how much I wish my life was balanced like Sarah's, and Sarah was expressing how unbalanced her life really is and how my life is better. Ha ha! So, we then decided to compare lives here on Talk Time and let YOU, the reader, be the judge! (Of course, I am sure we will have our own opinions.) As you might imagine, it's impossible to provide one sample, pretty consistent picture of a normal day - there just are none!!!! So follow along as best as you can. This is what a typical week looks like in the Freeman house.

7:30 try to get up (hit the snooze button several times)

around 8:00 turn the alarm clock off and finally get out of bed
somewhere in here, get dressed/shower.
have breakfast and tend to Tebow (our puppy) and Josie (our old doggie)
family worship (maybe if daddy isn't on a conference call)
get some laundry started, maybe.
water plants inside and outside.
neaten up the common room.
check email.
around 10:30 piano til lunch

(On Tuesday) math class at 11:30 til 1:00

12:00 break for lunch. (on Wednesday, leave for piano. Back at 3:00 minus any errands.)
more laundry
tend to doggies
answer emails, work on things for deadlines (any papers, assignments, church bulletin, etc)
walk Tebow
1:30 get some school done (On Mondays, house-work before teaching piano)

3:00 nap-can't stay awake (or housework)

4:00 get a snack work on more school (Mondays - teach piano until 6:00)

5:00 miscellaneous tasks (homework/chores)

6:30 dinner prep (Monday/Wednesday - leave for yoga)

8:15 back from yoga or tidy things up (or both)
get stuff done with daddy
email/facebook
around 10:30 or 11:00 go to bed and read a little maybe

These times are not entirely accurate. But they are a reference point for when I might do certain things in a day. That was basically an average day at home and does not include any errands to the grocery store or other things that just "come up".

Here is another day, which is also an average type of day during the week, though it is drastically different from the last example.

Morning is pretty much the same as the previous example.
11:30 Math class
1:00 Walk/play with Tebow, practice piano
2:00 piano lesson
3:00 stop by 2 friends' houses for errands; drop perishable items received, off at home. leave immediately
4:00 chiropractor appointment (stop at Starbucks on the way there)
5:00 back dinner with another family, email, watch TV
11:00 bed

As I said, these days do not include any extra errand running that we might have to do. Saturdays are work days in the house, including school work, and also usually we have some sort of engagement. Sunday, church work all day. Monday, Grace Classical Academy, teach piano, yoga. Tuesday, math class, chiropractor. Wednesday, piano, errands, yoga. Thursday, stay at home unless groceries are needed. Friday, stay at home, evening engagement usually. So that's my life. Mealtimes are up in the air with my dad's schedule unless he's away on a business trip. Bedtimes as well since we try to get in Daddy time when we can.

See, Sarah!? All that craziness and not a single "normally I listen to a sermon here" or "make a card for a friend here" or "make a craft while listening to a sermon here". I mean, it's just plain survival mode here. The next emergency/deadline.

As Sarah said though, "He gives grace sufficient". Future grace is the only thing keeping us going everyday. The Lord has given us many things, and "to whom much is given much is required" and thankfully, we don't have to figure out how to fulfill the requirements on our own. He is guiding and leading. I need contentment "in His place, at His pace."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I want to do one! Maybe I will in my leather bound, paper filled, sweet smelling journal--NOT, of course, that I would be drawing any comparisons.


My verdict: Sarah has a balanced life--even more balanced than she makes it sound. Lily does not have a balanced life. But then, isn't your life considered balanced in proportion to how much unbalance you can handle?

Sarah said...

I think I need to clarify one thing: I do not want a life like Lily's. Sorry Lily, but it's true. I love my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything. A gift from my Father's hands. BUT! in our conversation I was reassuring you that you're not as bad off as you make it sound because you have SO. MUCH. MORE. stuff to do in any one day than I do...so much more! And to get it all done in the same amount of time that it takes me to do half of what you do (and listen to a sermon) requires some amount of balance and prioritizing.

Also, my recommendation: We've said a million times that we make time for the things that are important to us. I NEVER just sit down and listen to a sermon...I make time. If I know I have 3 loads of laundry to fold I plan on listening to a sermon while I fold. I am always doing something else while I listen. And I don't remember the last time I didn't have to hit "pause" during a sermon to go do something...eat breakfast, go to piano...whatever. I never just listen to a sermon straight through. And you have an advantage because you have an ipod so you can do all that morning stuff: watering the plants; doing laundry, etc. and listen at the same time. There's my advice!

Love you,

Sarah