On Crazy Life

On Crazy Life






SCHEDULE
0600 playtime in the small playroom
0800 breakfast
0830 play outside
1200 lunch
1230 outside again
1500 snack
1530 bath time and play in the gym
1800 supper
1830 small playroom with no toys
1900 devotions
1930 bedtime




While most of the works out there start their new week on Sunday morning, our weeks start on Monday evening, kicked off by a staff mtg. Staff mtgs don’t take too long and can be quite hilarious and informal. Sometimes we tell the new girl that we wear tie downs to staff mtg but that usually ends quite quickly cuz we don’t really feel like wearing them if we don’t have to. One of the most interesting things about staff mtg is Papa’s stories. He usually receives a pinch from Mama or has us all in stitches. Or both. Tuesday’s we all start on our new jobs which I’ll explain a bit later. The days largely go the same. Two girls watch the kids all the time (check the playduty schedule on the fridge for tomorrow!) About 2 days a week we set up the pools and the kids go swimming in the afternoon. On Saturday the kids get to go on outings which is a big highlights for them. The big kids get to go bowling or rollerblading or hiking or whatever 1st and 2nd float girls decided to do and then the younger ones get to go play in McDonald’s while the teachers with them order snack for  everybody (think upwards of $60 for 30-35 people). Sunday morning at 1000 most of the kids assemble around the dining room table for Sunday School. Church starts in the chapel off the gym around 1030. Our services consist of a few songs by everybody, a verse and songs by the Sunday School kids, a message or talk by Papa or who ever dares to visit over Sunday, and a few songs by the teachers. By 1145 the button down shirt clad boys and dress clad girls are running off the steam built up from sitting in church while the kitchen girls scurry to get a fancy Sunday dinner on.  Sunday evening we have an early kids’ supper (1730) and when the kids are finally sleeping we have our own staff supper and party. Monday is our last day on our weekly cleaning jobs and we quickly try to finish the cleaning and whatever we should have done earlier in the week. And then our weeks are back where they started. Monday night staff meeting.



JOBS

Second Nursery children ages 1.5ish to 2ish.              
     A lot of girls claim their favourite job is 2nd Nursery. It’s not mine. You’re trying to get all their teeth brushed and some of them are off stuffing socks in the humidifier. You’re trying to get them all food and invariably one of them leaves half their meal on the floor. On paper, 2nd Nursery doesn’t have much to do. Brush teeth twice a day, naps in the morning, play duty, and put them to bed. But these kids are mighty. They may be small, but they’re mighty.

First Nursery
1st Nursery is stuck way down the hall where there isn’t super much action until the babies are sleeping. Basically you try to keep all your kids happy. When I first wrote this we had one baby. Now we have four, including a newborn. 1st Nurs is the only job that has set breaks. 1030-1145 and 1500-1530

Night Duty
Night duty is very much what it sounds like. I have a recent post called “A Night in the Life” you can refer to for more info.

Kitchen Assistant
One thing I can say, KA is my least favourite job. All you do is dishes. And make a fruit (remember to do dishes) and veggie for every (dishes!) meal. And do dishes and water flowers and do dishes and go to bed. Oh and set miles of table. And give 1st Nurs afternoon break.

Head Cook
This is not my favourite job either. Maybe because I tried to make too many extravagant meals. Do not do this. You will get no sleep. You supply a protein and grain for everyone at every meal and a whole grain once a day. Lots of cleaning. But all I have to do is write stuff on the list and Papas will go shopping or Papa will  order it online for me. Head cook will get a post all to itself in the coming days.

Boys and Laundry
Take care of boys and do laundry. And playduty. And first nursery break. More coming soon.

Girls and Cleaning
Try to keep track of the girls, a bunch of cleaning, playduty, repeat.

1st, 2nd, 3rd Float
Take over for girls who have off, vacuum and mop every day, drive school kids, helps with home work, do play duty. They do what they sound like they do. They float.