Questions about Daily Routine
Questions
What is your routine every morning?
How has your morning routine changed now that you have three kids?
What is the best part of your daily routine that you really enjoy?
What do you do at night when you are going to sleep?
Who helps you in your daily chores?
How much TV do your kids watch per day?
Vocabulary
“Ok, I’m good” This is a way of saying that you have everything you need.
Ok, I’m good, we can start filming now.
Ok, I’m good, I just had to check some emails, now it’s time to leave work.
Get out the door To leave a place
I help our oldest get out the door with Dan
I need to get out the door by 8am if I am going to get there on time.
Quality time together Time spent giving someone undivided attention in order to
strengthen the relationship and form a deeper bond
We have a nice 30 minutes of quality time together
My husband and I like to cook; it is a way that we spend quality time together.
Pretty much Very nearly
Pretty much everything has changed
I read pretty much every day.
I don’t even know The inability to explain something
I don’t even know what life was like.
I don’t even know how to describe the flavors in that meal, but it was delicious.
Has to say To talk about something; to offer insight or an opinion on something
It’s interesting to hear what everyone has to say
I want to hear what she has to say about the new law being passed.
Other than that Apart from or besides
Other than that, I am the kind of guy who just kinda hits the pillow and falls
asleep really quickly.
I have to go to the store and make dinner, but other than that, I don’t have a lot
to do today.
To throw in To add, include, or contribute something
I’ve tried to throw some stuff in there before.
I really enjoy running, but I try to throw in weight lifting and stretching.
Zonked Exhausted, extremely tired
Usually, like Dan said, I’m kinda zonked by the end of the day.
After working all week, I am usually zonked and just want to relax at home.
Doing the dishes Washing and putting away dishes
Doing the dishes, that’s my job.
I don’t want to do the dishes right now, so I will leave them in the sink.
50/50 To split or divide evenly
I don’t know if it’s 50/50, but we split the chores.
I will split this money with you 50/50, as long as you do half the work.
What the future holds What will happen in the future
I don’t know what the future holds, maybe they’ll do that in the future.
No one knows what the future holds, so it’s best not to worry about it.
To decompress To reduce or relieve stress or pressure
For me, when I have had a really busy day, I need to decompress.
My favorite way to decompress is to spend time in nature or to curl up with a
good book.
Questions about Food
Questions
What kind of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) do you cook for your family?
What meals make them say they think they’ve died and gone to heaven?
What is your favorite type/style of coffee to drink daily?
Vocabulary
Munchies A snack or small item of food
Olives, carrots, apples, stuff like that. Little munchies, little things like that. One
big plate with lots of stuff on it and everyone eats it.
I would rather have munchies throughout the day than a big, heavy meal.
Pro and con The advantage and disadvantage of something
I think in the US that’s a pro and a con, that people often struggle with knowing
what to eat.
Working remotely has its pros and cons–it can give workers more flexibility, but
sometimes people have a hard time separating work from home life.
Ages A long period of time
My dad, his taste buds have been burnt for ages, and so he’ll drink just about
any coffee.
I haven’t seen you in ages, how have you been?
On a regular basis Occurring in regular intervals
Jittery Nervous or unable to relax
Coffee, on a regular basis, makes me feel too jittery and kinda anxious.
I try to take walks in nature on a regular basis.
I was so excited for my trip that I was jittery the whole week before.
Questions about Hobbies and Activities
Questions
Do you have much time for reading?
+What’s the last book you read?
+Do you have time to read your students’ comments?
+Do you consider this distracting or extra work?
How do you have time to prepare videos and still be present with your family?
With managing your house, YouTube channel, and kids, do you have time to workout?
What kind of weather do you like?
What kind of movies do you watch on Netflix?
What do you do in your free time with the kids?
Do you feel like you’re a different woman after having three kids? (more mature and
empathetic, change in hobbies, media, daily decisions)
Vocabulary
Technically According to the facts or exact meaning of something
Do you have much time for reading, Dan? -Yeah, technically I do…
Technically pizza is a sandwich without the top piece of bread.
Highly recommend When someone enjoys something and are sure that you will enjoy
it, too
I highly recommend listening to Endurance, the book about Ernest Shackleton.
If you like coffee and pastries, I highly recommend that cafe on the corner.
Upped To increase
I deleted social media stuff off my phone, so that really helped. I upped my
reading when I did that.
I upped my water intake when I realized my headaches were a result of being
dehydrated.
Over [his] head Beyond someone’s ability to understand
We started Anne of Green Gables too, but that one was a little bit over his
head.”
That movie was way over my head–all the time travel and overlapping storylines
just confused me.
To feel beat To be completely, mentally and/or physically exhausted
I am really good at multitasking, but after I multi-task, I feel really, totally beat.
After going for a five mile run, I feel totally beat.
To base [your] worth A feeling of self-worth based on your values
I try not to base my worth, my individual personal worth, on the comments and
other peoples’ opinions.
Don’t base your worth on other peoples’ standards for success.
To be pressed To be under pressure
My goal is to try not to work in the evening, after the kids go to bed. But
sometimes I would be pressed to have to do that.
I am pressed to get everything done before the deadline–I could really use some
help.
To slack To relax or reduce in productivity
I’ve slacked a bit lately.
I’ve been slacking on my chores around the house because I can’t stop reading
this book–it’s so good!
To take a pause To stop doing something for a short time
I got sick for a little bit and had to take a pause.
I had to take a pause from running because I hurt my foot.
To have it/that in [her] To be capable of something; “I didn’t know she had that in her”
means being surprised by someone’s actions
I didn’t know she had that in her.
Wow, you ate that whole pizza–I didn’t know you had it in you!
At this point In this moment, right now, at this stage
At this point, they don’t watch movies, so…
At this point in my life, I would rather have my closest friends over for dinner
than go out to a noisy bar or club.
Weirdness Strange, unnatural or unusual
There’s a little bit of a weirdness to this question.
Did you notice some weirdness in the crowd when he stood up to give his
speech?
Crafty Someone who makes things by hand; or someone who is clever and
deceitful–be careful how you use it!
Theo is a lot more crafty. (Theo likes making things)
The politician was very crafty in the way that he avoided answering certain
questions.(The politician is deceitful and tricky)
Cherry on top The finishing touch on something that is already very good
It just feels like our family is complete–she’s like the little cherry on top.
I love my job. The fact that it pays well is just the cherry on top.
Challenge Question
Use the space below to write a few sentences answering this question. Use some of the
answers discussed in today’s lesson to guide you. What’s your daily routine like?
Sample: When I wake up in the morning, I make coffee and then take a shower. I like to
read a book while I drink my coffee, then I pack my lunch and get ready to go to work. I
usually work out during my lunch break, then eat my food at my desk. When I get home,
my husband and I cook dinner together and then we watch an episode or two of a show
together before we have to get ready for bed. Sometimes I do some small chores in the
morning or evening, but for big chores, I have to wait until the weekend to get them
done.