It’s been well over a year since I shared a “day in the life post” and life looks a lot different than it did back then. Last week, Casey shared her updated day in the life post so this week, it’s my turn!

Day in the Life of Bridget

Rise & Shine

5:15 am: My alarm rings and unfortunately, I’m not someone who hears the alarm and jumps right out of bed. Instead, I hear the alarm, press snooze and spend the next 15 minutes slowly “coming to”. It takes me about 5 minutes to open my eyes, then I usually grab my phone and review emails in bed.

I like reviewing my emails in bed so I have an idea of what the day may hold, but I would NOT recommend this practice. It’s actually not a good idea to read while you’re still in between light sleep and being awake because there have been some mornings I forget I read an email that morning and end up rushing to respond later in the day when I review my inbox one last time. During this time I also read through the day’s blog post and share it on instaStories.

5:30 am: Ben has usually been talking in his crib for a few minutes by now and the talking is slowly turning into a louder whine. This is usually what pulls me out of bed because going in to get Ben when he just wakes up for the morning (or even from a nap!) is my favorite.

5:35 am: I get Ben out of his crib, and talk to him while I change his diaper. We play on the floor for a few minutes and then I swoop him up to go play with Matt, who is just waking up and usually yelling Ben’s name. Ben hears it and is excited to go see him.

5:45 am: Matt plays in bed with Ben for a few minutes while I get dressed, put on my makeup quickly,  and do my hair. We all head out to eat breakfast and kick-off the day.

5:55 am: Matt is on paternity leave so he makes Ben’s breakfast and starts feeding him in the high chair. I usually make my oatmeal (with some almond butter and blueberries) and we sit around and chat about the day. At this time we usually review what we plan on doing when I get home.

6:10 am: I head out the door and make the 15-20 minute drive to work. Usually, the roads are empty and the drive is so easy! From my driveway, I literally have to make two right turns and I’m in the parking lot of my work. Plus 85% of my drive is through gorgeous forest preserves so it’s a pretty scenic drive where I usually listen to music and mentally plan out my day.

Time For My Day Job

6:35 am: When I arrive to work, I field any emails I had read that morning, make a to-do list for the day, and head to my first class.

7:00-7:55 am: Class #1 — I teach the special education work program at my job. Students must attend my class daily, where we cover all kinds of employment skills and information. Today we tackle different types of pay and how to calculate overtime. The class usually flies by and before I know it, I’m looking at the clock because the bell just rang and class is over!

7:55-8:00 am: I work in a very large school (almost 4,000 students!) and I’m in a new classroom every hour. My next hour class is literally on a different floor, on the opposite side of the building. I have to power walk (sometimes a slow jog – ha!) to get to class on time. Thankfully, I have a co-teacher in this co-taught Economics class so if I am ever running late, it’s okay.

8:00-8:48 am: Class #2 — I slide into class and we kick off the day. This class is learning about the different types of investments today. And because my co-teacher is SO innovative, almost all of the material is computer-based. It’s seriously amazing! So instead of the kids having to listen to us lecture all morning, they get right to work on their computer assignments and we bounce around the room to sit with whoever needs us that day. The atmosphere in this class is so much more “chill” because the classwork is far more student-driven rather than teacher-driven. I love it!

8:48-8:55 am: Another class over, already?! I hurry and run to the washroom and head to my next class. Thankfully, this one is just down the stairs and doesn’t require any power walking/jogging.

8:55-9:30 am: Class #3 — This class is more of a homeroom type class, where another co-teacher and I teach lessons 2 days a week on goals, study skills, and a variety of other soft skills. The other two days are reserved for students to do their homework, study, or get help from another teacher in the building. Today was a homework day so I help a few students with their work and check in on a few other students’ grades.

9:30-9:35 am: The homeroom class is over and I head to another part of the school where some of my students are getting on a bus to head to their daily work sites. I have a non-traditional schedule because I get to oversee them at work sites in the community during some parts of my day. Today I see them off to their jobs (at a local hospital, a local community college, some local businesses) and then run to my office to follow one bus to one of the work sites.

9:35-9:45 am: I head to one of the job sites, an elderly home where the students reset the dining room and do janitorial work after the breakfast rush.

Visiting Job Sites

9:45-10:40 am: I spend the next hour observing the students’ work skills and progress since the last time I was at this work site. Seeing how far they’ve come in the last week is very rewarding! Plus, seeing them enjoy their work and feel confident in this setting makes me so happy!

10:45 am: I head back to school to get some work done.

Lunch Time

11:00 am: My mornings are really busy and don’t give me much time to look at my computer! Usually, when I get back to my desk, I open up my lunch and dive into my inbox.

11:20-11:45 am: I eat my lunch, which is usually a veggie soup with some nuts, carrots, hummus and fruit as sides. I field the emails while eating and usually check my phone to see if I have any texts from Matt (who keeps me updated on his day with Ben).

11:45 am -12:15 pm: After I finish up my lunch, I grade some papers and update the online gradebook. I make copies and do any last minute work before it’s time to teach my next class.

12:15-1:10 pm: Time for my last classroom of the day. This is another special education work program, but this is my level one juniors (the morning class was my level 2 seniors). Today we are introducing information about filling out an application. This class is full of sweethearts who always have some great insight to share, which makes the class fly by!

1:20-2:03 pm: It’s the last hour of work and I need to watch my afternoon set of workers at their work site. This group heads to similar work sites as the morning crew but often do different jobs.

Today I head to the local hospital to see the students hard at work in all different parts of the hospital (the dish room, sanitizing in the PT department, organizing paperwork for the Patient Services Department, etc.). The students are so excited to see me at their work site and take their roles extremely seriously… especially when I stop by. They are ALL business and doing great.

2:10 pm: I get back to my car and check my email on my phone one last time before I head home. I usually field any important emails before I “sign-out” for the day.

Heading Home!

2:15 pm: I try to touch base with both my mom and/or Casey on my way home from work. If I catch Casey, we usually chat about the day, what emails came in, and what important tasks we have coming up.

If we have a conference call, we usually review anything we need to discuss before the call so we are on the same page. Today there wasn’t a call so we were able to catch up, plan for the upcoming weekend meetings, and just catch up!

2:45 pm: Honey, I’m hooommeee! I’m so excited to come home and snuggle Ben. Usually, we’ll play in the basement while Matt updates me about their day together. The house is straightened up by now and dinner is prepped thanks to Matt being home (he’s amazing!!).

3:00 pm: We try to keep Ben busy when I get home because he tends to be a tiny bit fussy during the late afternoon, depending on his naps that day. So either we all go out for a walk or lately I’ve been trying to take him in the stroller for a low impact run/walk. (I’ve been using aaptiv and LOVE it!)

3:45 pm: We’re home from our walk and I’m trying to implement a no phone rule from 3-6pm. I’m definitely not perfect, especially if it’s a busy day for the blog, but I’m trying!

4:00 pm: Sometimes Matt will go out for his run right about now (he’s training for his first half-marathon), and Ben and I play, set out my clothes for tomorrow, do any projects, and take photos for the blog (especially since it’s still light out).

Dinner & Bedtime Routine

5:30 pm: Ben is hungry so I feed him his baby food.  We actually make homemade baby food, which is WAY easier than it sounds and so much cheaper than buying baby food from the store. Ben eats it up and lets us know clearly when he’s had enough by refusing to open his mouth anymore.

6:00 pm: I change Ben into his pajamas, turn off the lights in his room, turn on his sound machine, and put him in his sleep suit. Then I rock him and give him his last bottle for the day. When he’s done with the bottle, he’s usually pretty sleepy. Although I know he needs to go right in his bed, I steal 2-5 minutes of cuddle time before I lay him down. These 2-5 minutes are my favorites of the day.

6:15 pm: Ben goes right down and I jump in the shower.

6:30 pm: Usually by this time Matt is back from his run and has been finishing up dinner while I feed Ben. We both sit down and have an unplugged dinner together (or as close as possible!). We talk about the day, hang out, and enjoy each other’s company without any distraction.

Blog Time

7:00 pm: Now it’s time for BLOG WORK! I’m in my pajamas, everything is ready for work tomorrow, and I’m excited to dive in. This is usually when I write my posts, edit any photos from the weekend, and do anything else looming on my to-do list. I AM SO LUCKY that Casey now works full-time on the blog because I honestly wouldn’t sleep if she wasn’t. Behind-the-scenes stuff that we used to share is now handled by her (she’s the best!!) because she’s full time. I’m grateful every single day for ALL that she does for us.

Bedtime

9:30 pm: I try to be in bed by 9:30 pm, but that doesn’t always happen because of my to-do list. I especially have to stay up if my weekend is busy, and I won’t have a ton of extra time to tackle blog work. Ideally, I like to keep my weekends open so that I can get as much blog work done as possible. This strategy is not always realistic, but it does eliminate some of the pressure during the week so it’s what I prefer.

9:31 pm: Usually I lay down, set my alarm for the morning, and am SOUND asleep by 9:31 pm… ready to do it all again!

Bridget