Checklist

From 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm on an average weekday:

• Welcome each child home individually (even though they all come in the door in a rush)
• Remind each one to hang up coats and put shoes in the right place (or do it for them, *sigh*)
• Remind each one to wash his or her hands (as often as necessary until done, *sigh*)
• Ask about school
• Listen to more than one story about school at the same time
• Pour my "coping" cup of coffee (about 4 pm) as the first sibling altercation begins ("You interrupted me!")
• Remind them to get snacks
• Remind them to drink ("Stay hydrated!")
• Suggest that they go outside and play (weather cooperating . . . this is healthy for everyone involved)
• Visit briefly with Hubs who is surfing the Net news after a short day's sleep
• Start dinner
• (half the time) Wash the dishes needed to start dinner/eat dinner
• * Inspect/wipe/wash off children who are coming in from outside (if the weather indeed cooperated)
  
• * Help at least two children with two separate homework assignments in two separate rooms while cooking dinner and trying (maybe) to listen to "All Things Considered" on my pre-children Sony radio
• Kiss Hubs goodbye before he saunters off into the sunset of L&D night shift (in the Big Red Truck)

*Note: This item frequently overlaps the 5 pm cutoff.

Disclaimer: This checklist is only valid for another week and a half, until Hubs' night shift is over, Charmer adds play practice after school once a week, and Engineer adds soccer practice at 5:15 once a week (When am I supposed to cook dinner? When are we supposed to eat it?). Oldest already has gymnastics once a week. You can see why I have a ONE activity limit per child. MAX. But this should be a subject of another blog post!

Next checklist: 5 pm to 8 pm (from Hubs leaving until the kids are all in bed — maybe.)