Welcome To My World - The Evening

4:30 PM Arrive home from office

4:45 PM If it’s Tuesday, get Ronnie, his braces, his crutches and his chair in car to head to physical therapy. If it’s Thursday, get Ronnie, his orthotics, his chair and his basketball jersey in the car to head to wheelchair basketball practice. If it’s not Tuesday or Thursday, sit at table while Ashley eats dinner.

5:00 PM Change clothes, pick out next day’s outfit, while Ashley is getting her shower.

5:15 PM Prepare Ashley’s medications and get her nighttime ‘things’ ready.

5:30 PM Go through nighttime routine with Ashley, including hair drying, lotion applying and arguing over which pajamas to wear that night.

5:45 PM Tuck Ashley in to bed

5:47 PM Begin making dinner for the rest of the family. While dinner is cooking, make sure backpacks are ready for the next day and deal with any school forms and mail. Check phone message and return calls.

6:15 PM Eat dinner

6:45 PM Clean up dinner dishes, start dishwasher, start a load of laundry

7:00 PM Iron work clothes for the next day, plug in cell phones, pack computer bag

7:30 PM Make lunches for everyone for the next day

7:45 PM Check work email and handle anything that can’t wait. Spend a few minutes reading blogs and Facebook.


8:00 PM Move laundry to dryer, start another load of laundry, straighten house

8:15 PM Begin watching an 8:00 PM television show while relaxing on the couch (thank goodness for DVR’s which allow me to record and watch a show on delay).

8:30 PM Unload dishwasher, set out breakfast dishes for the next day, feed cat

9:00 PM Fold laundry from dryer, move next load from washer to dryer, tell boys goodnight, administer kisses and I love yous, turn out lights, turn on alarm system


9:15 PM Get myself ready for bed, check work email one more time, watch some mindless TV show or read

10:00 PM Turn out lights and go to sleep

12:30 AM Get up the first time to tell Ashley to get back in bed and stop pulling clothes out of her closet

3:00 AM Get up the second time to tell Ashley to get back in bed and stop slamming her door

4:30 AM See yesterday’s post...