It Takes A Lot Of Work To Support The Workers
Friday, July 16, 2010 at 4:43AM 4:30 a.m. - Alarm clock goes off. I get up and go wake up Hayden.
4:35 - Have his breakfast on the table for when he makes it down. Start putting ice packs and food into coolers.
4:40 - Go to Reagan's room. Open the door and turn on the light and then run before she can start growling at me.
4:45 - Fill water coolers and check for leaks. Wrap Hayden's blisters before he puts on his socks and boots.
4:50 - Remind them both to put on sun screen and start checking to make sure they have gloves, hats, bandanas, mosquito netting and safety glasses.
5:00 - Listen to Reagan as she snarls at me. Reagan is not a morning person. About the worst thing you can do to a non- morning type is to get them up before sunrise to go walk through 10 miles of corn. Her attitude reflects this.
5:05 - Head for the bus.
5:30 - Try to go back to sleep. Stare at the ceiling and think that I should just get up and go exercise or something.
6:00 - Fall asleep.
7:15 - Rich's alarm goes off. He hits snooze.
7:20 - It goes off again.
7:25 - And again.
7:30 - And again.
7:31 - Forcibly kick the man out of the bed and ignore him while he gets ready for work.
Sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 - Get up. Get Faith up. Drink coffee and start on whatever chores need to be done that day.
12:00 - Anytime between now and 3:00 I'll get the call to go pick up the kids so Faith and I are fairly housebound. This is a good time to do some baking. Yesterday I made Zucchini Brownies. Please believe me when I tell you that they are the best zucchini food I have ever had. I don't just make them to use up zucchini - I actually want them. I would even buy zucchini from the store to make these brownies.
After I pick up the kids it's laundry time.
Do you like my new laundry room?
Goodness Mindee! Why on earth would you do laundry on the driveway? Not exactly classy now, is it?
Oh.
I see.
After the clothes are sprayed I take them up to the washer where I select "Heavy Duty", "pre-wash" and "extra rinse."
When I take the clothes out they will be moderately cleaner.
The inside of the washer will be littered with corn stalk leaves.
The laundry room will smell like hot corn.
This is not a good smell for a laundry room - especially when the laundry room doubles as the master bathroom.
4:30 - Make dinner. Because the kids have been working so hard, I've been trying to make food I know they like. We've had chicken nuggets and spaghetti and breakfast food. Last night I made French bread pizza and fruit salad.
Fruit salad is not a vegetable, but it is still good for you! Plus I put veggies in the brownies so let's call it good, shall we?
5:00 - Eat.
5:30 - Take Reagan to volleyball clinic. Poor girl.
6:15 - Wash out the lunch coolers and water coolers. Refill the water packs they wear on their backs and stick them in the freezer.
6:30 - Make sandwiches for tomorrow. Hayden takes one ham and cheese and one PBJ. Reagan likes one ham and one turkey. Clean up the kitchen.
7:30 - Fold the now dry, moderately clean clothes.
8:00 - Try to make the kids go to bed. Suddenly they are wide awake. Sleep? Sleep is for wimps. They don't need to go to bed now. They're teenagers! Teenagers don't go to bed at 8:00. No! They will not be tired tomorrow. Not at all.
9:00 - Yell. Yell loud and long. Threaten. Threaten and yell. Finally they go to bed.
9:30 - Yell some more because they're lights are still on.
10:00 - Call it a night.
Detassling, Food, Hayden, Reagan
Reader Comments (28)
I have one who wakes up chattering and one where I must employ the 'time to get up' then run tactic.
Are you keeping this schedule all summer or is this just for a couple of weeks. Because if you are keeping this schedule for the whole summer you will need a vacation from summer vacation when its all over.
I'm exhausted just reading this... going to sleep now! (yes it is 9am, so what?!)
AAANNNNNDDDDD your getting paid how much?!?
Yeah, that's what I thought...
hugs, kisses, and lots of "Your the best mom EVER"
oh wait, they are teenagers....
nevermind
LOL - the joys of teenage parenting :)
Oh my goodness Mindee that dinner looks like the most delicious thing since your pizza wheels and blueberry scones. I want to come eat dinner at your house. But not go work in the cornfields. I like taking care of sick people just fine, thank you. In the air conditioning.
Okay, that makes me tired just thinking about it. Now I'm going to go find the recipe for your zucchini brownies (I hope it's on your site, I may have missed it). I don't eat chocolate myself, but I'm constantly looking for new recipes for treats that my husband can take to work.
OH... found it! Guess that's what the link in your post was for. :)
Joyce - it's just for a couple of weeks. I don't know about the kids but I couldn't do it all summer.
Kendra - sleep tight. :)
Brenda - you're right: even hugs and kisses would be nice! Ah well, I'm sure they're thankful on the inside. ;)
Stephen - You're just cheese deprived. My Rx? A big pizza with EXTRA cheese.
Tabitha - Glad you found it - enjoy!
At least now Rich doesn't feel bad he's the only one who has to get up in the morning!
I think you need to be paid for all that...
Marla @ www.asthefarmturns.wordpress.com
Oh, now that is exhausting. :(
Oh Mindee, BIG hug...what a summer you are having!!! OUCH!!!!! I hope that the kids appreciate all you are doing for them so they can do this job. HUGS!!!
BTW, your dinner looked lovely!
Hang in there honey,
Ardee-ann
Megan- Rich definitely has the better deal this week.
Marla - in a perfect world mothers would be paid what they're worth. In the real world, no one can afford that!
LJW - at least no one is peeing on my washer. ;)
AA - They don't. That's okay, someday they will. I hope!
Ahhhhh....ain't summer just the most RELAXING time of year? And why do we look forward to it all year long??? Because we're gluttons for punishment. Masochists. It's sickening.
:)
Mindy
www.thesuburbanlife.com
French bread pizza?! Wow and YUM! The fruit looks amazing too. As for getting up early I have no idea how you do it.
Isn't it supposed to get easier as they get older? My 2 and 5 year old's schedules aren't looking so bad. I will not complain if they wake before 7am, I promise. I'm tired just reading about your day.
I love the picture of you spraying clothes on the driveway. This schedule reminds me of something a settler on the prairie would do! I wish my kids had this hard work to wake them up to life a little. But not me. Is it okay if I sip Dr. Pepper and pick the curled potato chips out of the bag while they labor?
Whew.. I'm worn out reading about all of it. I love that you go back to bed. You and I are definitely sisters from another lifetime.
Wow... I don't know how you do it Mindee - I'm exhausted just thinking about it!
Whew... what a day!
And washing clothes in the driveway? Classic... keep the mud out of the house. You know you could really teach the kids something if you just get one of those antique wringer washers - they can come home and wash their own stuff... no more hot corn smell or leaves in the washer!!!
You rock! Mom of the summer award goes too?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!Mindee
Mindee...you are the supermom of teenagers! I will definitely be looking to you for advice in the future! They will appreciate you one day...especially if they look back and read your blog!