A Day in the Life | Winter 2016

Nate and I are both 34 (oh, the wonderful four months of being the same age as my husband!)
Truman is 5.5 (almost 6!)
Cecelia is 3.5 (going on 16!)
Porter is 1.5 (or 18 months to be exact)
Henry dog is 10

{Entire Flickr album of the 340 pictures I took this day} I used my real camera for most of the day, no small feat but I really do love non-iPhone pictures so much.



Tuesday | January 19, 2016

5:30 am | My alarm blares from my phone, snooze it quickly. Did I just hear Porter singing to himself in his crib? I'm going back and forth in my head about doing a Day in the Life today. Should really do a work day since it's been over a year, and I always tend to pick my days at home during the week. But yeah, there's a reason for that choice. It's so much easier to take pictures and make decent notes on my phone when I'm not working. Plus I sort of love Tuesdays more than any other day, because we have dance for Cecelia and Nate gets home from work super early (opposite of all the other days). Today it is!

5:45 am | Second alarm, and I get out of bed sneaking into the bathroom for my work out clothes. Lordy, I look haggard and tired, but selfies in the mirror at this hour are bound to be cringe-y. Check weather on my phone on the off chance that it's above my limit for running outside (must be at least 20 degrees or I cannot). Nope, will be exercising indoors YET AGAIN because it's -2 degrees. Sweet (prepare for a lot of winter-complaining this quarter, I am deep in the trenches of hating the cold weather). I hear Porter squeezing his squeaky Sophie the giraffe and I tip toe downstairs before he's full blown awake and ready to party.


I guess this morning will be one of the three exercise DVDs I enjoy: Jackie Warner, Sean from Insanity, or Tony with his P90X Plyometrics routine). Kind of hate Insanity, I love Tony and his Plyometrics but it's an hour long and I have no desire for that length of butt kicking, so Jackie is my chosen coach this morning. I just did this DVD on Sunday but whatever, it's a good one and exactly 30 minutes long. I hear Nate get into shower, check to see Porter is still flip flopping around in his crib, and I start my DVD.

5:50 am | Jackie, oh Jackie. Your abs are freaking insane. Nate and I have been seriously discussing a treadmill purchase for the basement and how I wish I could just go downstairs to run. Maybe someday! I thought a new 'nice' treadmill would cost about $500. Do you guys have any idea how wrong I was? Guesses? We are looking at ones that range from $1000-$1500, holy moly. But still cheaper than a gym membership after about nine months of use, and to think of nap times and early mornings and post-bedtimes that could be spent running? Seems totally worth it to me. Continue to slug some weights around and focus on Jackie for now, but hoping we get our treadmill v.soon.



6:20 am | I'm done. My quads and glutes burn like a mother. Nate is down eating breakfast and takes my picture rather reluctantly. I also try to show you my authentic sweaty face then give up, remembering it's still pitch black outside and the lighting is horrible for now. Chat with Nate about our upcoming days: Tony is coming over sometime to look at the upstairs windows, as Nate found some mold on one of them---not good. Of course this makes him say 'another reason to get new windows in our house' and all that flashes before me is $$$$$$$$$. We talk about Cecelia's leg drama, as she seems to have injured her right knee somehow. She was at an open gym with Tony and Truman yesterday and was hopping on one leg, then fell down and has been limping/complaining since. We don't think it's broken or anything too severe because it doesn't hurt to poke around on it, but we are watching her closely and hope she wakes up without a limp. Limps scare me and make me assume the worst (like cancer) and so I try not to be a nut job about it. We talk about our neighbor's trip to Jamaica and feel intense jealousy. Bon Iver radio is on through iTunes. I take Henry outside and start kids' breakfasts and make my coffee. Add gummy vitamins to the Target list. Check email. Need to stop sweating before I shower but also want to get cleaned up before the kids awake if possible.

6:40 am | Nate leaves for work. I make Truman's lunch, which is the same combo every day: PBJ, applesauce, (frozen) string cheese, (frozen) GoGurt that defrosts by lunch time, a small candy dessert, whole milk in a thermos, and a quick note from me. I recently found out he has only 20 minutes in the cafeteria, so no wonder he was having a hard time eating everything I sent! Get my coffee and head upstairs for a shower, I should have 20 minutes before the kids wake up. I could make and eat my breakfast alone but choose the shower instead, picking out clothes first.



6:50am | I get in the shower after tip toeing around, and hear a door open down the hallway. Is it Henry or a kid? It's Henry messing up my just made bed after pushing open my bedroom door, the stinker.

7:00am | Out of shower, get dressed, note the sun is finally coming up. Truman wakes up and comes into the bathroom, I ask him how he slept and then he remembers today is library day at school. He goes to find his two books, I get a text message from friends, and T can't find the books so I help him. I hear CC stirring asking Truman what is wrong because he's almost crying over the books, but they are in my room and easily found by his all-knowing mom (JK-ish).




7:10 am | Truman and I go downstairs with our hands full of books/makeup bag/hair supplies. Do I do my hair and makeup or eat? Eating wins because I'm starved. Get Truman's backpack ready as he starts to eat breakfast, and I make my own (favorite egg, cheese, and ham sandwich on an English muffin, yum).

7:15 am | Cecelia is crying so I set my newly made sandwich to the side and go upstairs. She needs help carrying  down all of the stuff deemed appropriate to bring with her to the lower level. She says her leg still hurts and seems to be limping as much as she was doing last night. Crap. I really hope it gets better throughout the morning.



7:25 am | I eat my breakfast with the big kids and we all chat a bit. Truman is trying to make Cecelia laugh but it comes across as irritating to her, she definitely needs some time each morning to wake up. Cecelia is asking where daddy is, because he didn't see her princess gown. (But he actually did see it last night). Also, 'I hope I can go to dance class,' is something she says a few times, poor girl. Truman is playing with his McDonald's toy from yesterday's treat with Tony (it was a busy, treat-filled day with a movie, then the open gym, then Mickey Dees!) and finishes his breakfast.



7:30 am | I pour my second cup of coffee, Truman is dressing himself and Cecelia is still eating. I blow dry my hair, Truman comes in to brush his teeth and looks really adorable/big, and I plug in my flat iron as I hear Porter talking upstairs. Run up to get him and remind the kids to stay away from my flat iron, putting it on top of the medicine cabinet and still have visions of them grabbing the cord or something silly. How many worst case scenarios can I jump to in a given day? Let's count.



7:37 am | I get Porter-P and he is all smiles this morning, tells me 'poop' and points to his diaper but I think he is kidding me because I smell nothing with my highly accurate nose-in-butt check. He has me grab his ducky but doesn't insist on taking every other item downstairs with us (hooray--all three kids are really into a phase where they bring half of their belongings downstairs each morning, sort of drives me nuts). Truman has just turned on his Angry Birds show, so I put Porter next to T on the couch and note Cecelia is definitely still limping.



7:45 am | I start Porter on a banana, help CC get dressed as she claims she is finished with breakfast, and all three are held captive by the TV making a perfect photo op. Once Cecelia is all dressed, I quickly straighten my hair, then ask Truman to put his snow pants and boots on as he finishes up his episode. I love that my biggest boy is so self sufficient in the mornings now, and we have a good routine that works to get him out the door quickly and with very little stress. No TV until all of the rest of his duties are done, and he knows there is absolutely no whining when it's time to turn it off and head to school. I think that having a child who LOVES school so much really makes the mornings even easier now than when the kids were smaller. First time of the day when I genuinely look forward to the bigger kid years!







8:00 am | Time to round up the troops, so I dress Porter quickly.  Cecelia helps by handing Porter a fresh diaper to give to me, and Porter says 'Day-Dooo' with his precious voice. CC has to potty one more time and since she's already wearing her leotard and multiple layers of clothing, it's kind of a scramble to get her undone and put back together. I'm totally frantic to get all dressed in winter gear, feeling like no matter how much prep work I do the night before the last 10 minutes at home before school are always chaos! Cecelia announces that, 'there's a lot of things to do when you're a mommy,' and I chuckle to myself and remember to get a grip.



8:10 am | We leave the house and begin our jaunt across the street to school. Within seconds both CC and Porter are starting to lose their sh*t. Porter refused to wear mittens and now he wants to walk with Truman but P can't keep up. Cecelia is limping and says her leg hurts. Truman is stressed because we are going to be late and his siblings are basically hysterical by the time we cross the street and land Truman at the front door of school. Because it's less than 0 degrees out, they have the kids walk directly to their classrooms today instead of lining up outside. Usually I will walk upstairs with Truman but there is just no way today, the bell rings as we are kissing goodbye. CC starts crying even harder because she wants to give Truman a kiss. Hysterical Porter is out of control, super mad at me for carrying him when he wanted to walk.  We are a sad, sad sight but Truman runs up the stairs like a big boy and is probably irritated that the bell has already rung (my rule-follower hates being late!). So defeating to have things unravel this quickly. I carry Porter home as he wails and wails and I hold Cecelia's hand, telling her I'm sorry her leg hurts. Let's just get home and warm up, kids, BLASTED WINTER!!!!!





8:20am | We are home (it's seriously a three minute walk max, lucky ducks, yes.) Hysterics ensue from Porter, and it's kind of scaring me now because he is practically shaking he's so upset. His hands are definitely really cold and I make a note that I might have to duct tape gloves on the kid going forward, and if he cries when I put them on it still has to be better than seeing him cry from the coldness. I take Porter with me to the upstairs bathroom to get Cecelia ibuprofen for her leg, and I try to calm Porter P. It's not working. I let him pour milk into the medicine cap and that somewhat appeases him. Cecelia takes her meds and I hope they help with her pain. Ah, the morning just crashed so hard and I'm blaming the weather for sure.

8:30 am | Porter is finally not crying anymore. I turn on Daniel Tiger, as the kids usually watch one show right now before dance class, as I finish getting ready. I text Nate about CC's leg, wondering if it's okay to let her go to dance. He agrees meds and dance are okay but we both feel badly for our girl. And wow, I'm shaken by Porter's extreme meltdown and feel sad that Truman was irritated with us when we said goodbye.



8:40 am | Time for makeup, as the kids watch TV and finish their breakfasts and extra granola. Add things to the Target list and decide we should probably go today after dance, since we are on our last puny wipe container and a dirty diaper could cause a major dilemma. Drinking cold coffee, take a few selfies, check our dinner list for tonight and don't have to defrost anything. Wash some of the dishes in the sink and mentally prepare to get out of the house again.



9:00 am | I decide to pull the van out of the garage and let it run to warm up a bit, REALLY hope nobody steals our running van but I suppose it's a risk I'm willing to take to keep the children happy and not frostbitten. I throw in a load of laundry and get two big blankets to keep in the van in case of emergency. Start donning the coats, boots, hats, gloves, for the children and only a few tears in protest. CC is really excited for dance even though her leg is still not 100%, but I figure we should try since she seems to be walking a little better now.

9:15 am | We leave after I bundle the children up with a blanket, something they find new and exciting and fun, thankfully. I am aware that heavy coats and car seats don't mix but I promise I make the straps ridiculously tight and also, it's scary cold outside and we're in and out a lot. There's my justification, don't kill me.

CC spots our friends driving along side of us, heading to dance class, too. We drive by Lori's and the kids say, 'Hi Lori!' Feel sad about Kellan, for probably not the first time this morning.

9:25 am | We arrive at dance class and as we walk into the building, we see the teacher has already taken the girls into the gym. Crap, didn't know we were late! I scramble to get CC undressed and into her ballet flats, then walk her and her friend into the gym. I consider telling the teacher that CC's leg kind of hurts, but she's all the way across the gym and figure if she needs to stop dancing, sister can tell the teacher herself. Wave goodbye really big and she bops away from me happily.

During class I shovel (illegal) snacks at Porter, chase him through the hallways, talk to my mom friends about jobs, kids, school, etc.. Porter needs lots of water from the fountains and snacks and keeps asking for 'Dee Dee'. I don't take a lot of pictures but here is my favorite video from last week, when CC waves to me filming her;)



10:00 am | They are finished with class and come out smiling and happy, showing off their stickers on their hands. Get my two dressed in winter gear, both are whiny and truly, adding multiple layers of clothing just sucks. Feed them crackers to distract from the horror of winter bundling. Walk to the car with Ali and her two girls, Porter is not happy and doesn't want the new/fun blanket in the van anymore. Give them each suckers, I'm such a sucker for bribery, but it works and it's becoming a 'thing' after dance. Fine by me!

10:10 am | Head to Target. Cecelia says things like, 'I miss my dad. Remember that time we saw a skunk in the road right here? Well, my leg hurt the whole time during class but it's better than yesterday. I don't want to take a rest today.' As I'm trying to hand CC and Porter the last few drops from my beloved water bottle, I say I can't keep passing things back to them since I have to focus on driving. Then comes another, 'mommies have to do a lot, don't they?' This child keeps me entertained like none other.

10:25 am | Target! Cue the angels singing, such a stereotypical American mom excursion but seriously, it's a mecca. The kids eat snacks and help me check things off our rather small list. Both stay in the double cart basically the entire time which is nothing short of a miracle and it's a pretty quick/easy trip. We somehow still spend $85, Target does it again. Back into the van we go, Porter is getting tired but he's hanging in there. I almost slip into the side of the van because there's ice next to us, but I resist the urge to curse winter for the four hundredth time this morning.







11:00 am | Pack up and head home. We are singing to the radio, mostly Pitbull/ top 40 stuff, then Cecelia requests "Pink and Blue" by Hannah Diamond. You're welcome for that amazing recommendation--weirdest song ever, but sister loved it from the very first note we heard months ago. Hmmm, Porter looks like he's falling asleep back there, so I roll down his window to startle him awake. Such a mean mom, I am, but we do NOT mess with car naps if humanly possible.

11:10 am | Home. Unload the van and get the kids inside after admiring our two snowmen. Porter is parched and upset my water is gone, so I make them their own drinks, unload the bags from Target, and they play nicely together. Cecelia is singing to Porter.  I change the laundry.

11:25am | I start the lunch process, turn on some music, check email, dance with the kids. Adorable, one of the highs of the day for sure. They are eating food off of their plates faster than I can put it all together.








11:45 am | We all sit down to eat. CC says her leg hurts 'a lot but not a lot, it keeps going back and forth.' Text with mom, she is looking to come and visit again soon! Porter scoops yogurt and hummus with toys and bananas.  Specifically he is using Truman's McDonald's toy as a spoon which is pretty disgusting but right on par with typical Porter grossness. CC steals my croutons and goes to town on the hummus.





12:00 pm | I note it's recess time and we spy on Truman. He and his friends have been tackling and pushing each other over at recess and I don't like it, seems so rough. Hard not to yell out the front door to tone it down, but I suppose if they are getting out of control the teacher would put a stop to it. Kids will be kids, it's all in good fun and they aren't actually being mean, etc. Maybe they just need to get their physical burst out of their systems so they can keep learning nicely for the rest of their day. I keep eating and the kids play and eat simultaneously. Check IG first time today, way to go, Julia!

12:10 pm | Take Henry outside, clean up from lunch, the kids are playing and dancing. Then I have two helpers washing dishes in the sink. P is obviously tired as he says 'night night' and lays down on the kitchen floor. I clean the table and counters, bring up the first load of laundry from the dryer and grab a La Croix in hopes staving off my afternoon coffee fix.



12:30 pm | Head upstairs, diaper change, get CC to change her clothes and potty. Tuck both kids in for naps. 'I sure have to do a lot of stuff as a sister,' Cecelia says after changing her clothes. Ha!







12:45 pm | Head downstairs. Neither child is asleep yet but they certainly seem exhausted on the monitor. Nate texts about Cecelia, wants to know how she did in dance. Hear Porter saying 'Dada' and hear Henry stuck inside Porter's room. Go to rescue them both and Porter wants the Daddy Hugs book, I love when he wants to look at books in his crib.

12:55 pm | Start paperwork prep for my horribly busy day tomorrow, already did some prep work yesterday when I was done with my day. But yeah, tomorrow will be a doozy, not looking forward to it except seeing more patients on Mondays and Wednesdays means I've been working half days on Fridays. (And spoiler: I ended up having two cancellations on Wednesday so it was not so stressful at all, take that!)

Porter is definitely protesting his nap and I get distracted by Timehop, note I did a DiTL two years ago today, too. Call Tony to say he should wait on coming over for the windows, he was going to walk out door so I'm glad I caught him. Can't interrupt nap time for window maintenance in their rooms. Back to paperwork, I will try to be focused now.

1:20 pm | I'm done with work stuff and both kids are sleeping, took maybe five minutes for them to pass out. Check email and return one to Memaw, check IG. Need to fold laundry but blech.

1:30 pm | Must stay moving or will surely never stand up again. Go ahead and get the second load of laundry from the basement and start folding my brains out. Radio on, La Croix down the hatch, favorite candle lit, and I'm considering chopping my hair when I catch a glimpse in the mirror. Not a pixie cut but maybe a shorter style suits me better. Still with weird postpartum regrowth and odd layers, makes me want to start fresh. We'll see.



1:50 pm | I'm finally done with laundry and have one hour or so until school pick up. Me time! Gotta do it: homemade Americano and frothed whole milk. Yessss.



2:00 pm | Oh, glorious couch time. Today I choose to start this post, but other days maybe email or read. Not sure I need this caffeine but it tastes so good. Working on this post when I get a text message FROM MY GRANDMOTHER. Freaking adorable. Grab a piece of chocolate and get back to this post. Text Nate to see when he'll be home so I know if I have to wake the kids to get Truman. He said he'll be home soon, so yay for letting them sleep, since waking the beasts to walk across the street in the cold is always such a fantastic idea.

3:10 pm | Tony is here and we are talking about our windows, and talking about Lois possibly retiring (someday!). Nate is home at 3:15 and we decide Tony can get Truman since he wants to do it and the littles are still snoozing, so he can't start fixing the windows yet anyway. N and I talk about the kids and his day at work.

3:25 pm | Nate brings CC down all bundled in her Hello Kitty blanket, had to wake her up but nearly three hours of napping is more than enough lest she stays awake until midnight tonight. CC tells her dad about dance, I text friends about our new pediatrician who we are meeting for the first time this Thursday. Another friend might switch to her too. Nate and I are looking at treadmills online and Cecelia is quite enthralled. Eventually Nate just buys the dang thing, so exciting. Target does it again;)



3:45 pm | T-n-T are home after spending an absurd amount of time outside kicking snow balls on the ground. Truman said he didn't have library today because it was a Monday schedule, he had a good day, and he wants a snack. I want him to finish the rest of the half-uneaten sandwich I packed in his lunch, as he knows there aren't after school snacks unless his lunch is gone. He is upset with me for this today, saying the sandwich is too hard. I roll my eyes at that but when I touch the bread I realize it's like a rock and kind of gross. Okay, Truman, you win. I give him pretzels with peanut butter on the side and figure I should get a second bowl ready for little sister, since she is bound to want the same.

Tony and Nate are upstairs with Cecelia looking at our windows and Tony ends up washing the moldy part with bleach and Nate helps him clean everything thoroughly. At first there is talk about putting plastic over the top of the windows to keep the frost from melting and turning to mold but later it's decided that won't work, and mostly we just need to stop having such cold weather;) We've never had a problem with our windows before, even at their 91 years of use, so this is concerning to me. Truman immediately gets into his maze book and tells me more about school--apparently there was an author that visited their class today, and he brought his dog in to meet them.

4:00 pm | Porter is finally awake after a 3.5 hour nap. He seems sort of fussy and his eyes look really red, but I'm hoping he was just rubbing them with snotty hands or something. He knows Papa is present in the house and therefore wants him to read the 'Dada' book, not happy that I take him downstairs instead. Selfie stick then M&Ms to the rescue!



Truman now wants to play Telestations and is obsessive with asking for this game; it's really fun and all but you have to have at least three adults or it's annoying, so I convince him to play with Nate instead. After all, it's not every weekday that their dad is home to play--gotta make the most of Tuesdays when we can.

4:25 pm | I take Henry to his vet appointment, as the old dog is due for his three year rabies vaccine. We take Nate's car since it's parked in the driveway and we see a dude with one jacked up front wheel sitting in his car. I stop and roll down my window asking if he is okay, and he is on his phone saying he is fine and just waiting for AAA. Henry is super nervous to ride in the car with me and probably nearly has a heart attack when I stop to talk to a stranger. My anxious guy.

4:30 pm | At the vet. Henry is officially 31 pounds and poops in the exam room to exclaim his disdain for all things medical. He won't take the two treats from the tech until he leaves the room. I was actually very impressed with the vet for once. He was asking how old Henry was and said he was shocked to hear he's ten because he looks like a puppy. Henry liked that compliment, too. He was asking the ages of my kids and whether Henry came first or the children. Oh, sweet Henry and his fall from the top of the totem pole. The vet did not suggest we clean his teeth which made me happy, since I feel like they are always pushing that on us and his gums never seem any better after a cleaning, either. He received three treats total this day and was only $44, which is about 100x better than most vet appointments tend to be for us.



4:55 pm | Leave for home, dude is still sitting in his jacked car waiting for AAA. Sucks!

5:00 pm | We are home. Tell Nate all about Henry's stellar appointment, Tony is reading to Ports, and the big kids are on their screens (iPad and Kindle). Nate has a dentist appointment at 5:30 tonight which totally puts a damper on dinner time as a family. He's started making the pork sandwiches we planned to have but hasn't made anything for the kids. I know there is no freaking way they will eat a somewhat 'spicy' sandwich. So since his sandwiches are ready he suggests I eat with him quickly, then he will leave and I can figure out dinner for the children. Sounds like a mediocre idea to me, but whatever. The meal was really good, but rushed.



5:15 pm | Nate and Tony both leave and I attempt to make something for the children. Pretty sure they filled up on pretzels and peanut butter and will likely not eat well for me, but I suppose I have to try anyway (hate throwing away uneaten food and trying to save it doesn't always work out, either). Feed Porter some yogurt and apples as he sits on the counter observing my efforts, note that his eyes still look pretty awful and hope this isn't pink eye, and then CC starts whining about wanting Ibuprofen again. Oh, dental appointments during my least favorite time of the night, why must you happen? I absolutely understand why moms drink before the kids go to bed---I just don't want to fall asleep before they do!



5:30 pm | Get the kids to the table with some semblance of a meal in front of them. CC is mad that Truman opened the Babybel cheese for her, Porter doesn't want to sit down (might be full from his many appetizers on the counter anyway). I'm not hungry for the salad I was going to make so I skip it and figure I can eat more later if the tiny pork sandwich isn't holding me. Okay, yeah, Cecelia is basically throwing a fit and totally refusing to eat now, Porter is taking a poop and telling me all about it, and Truman is imitating a guy on his Gogurt container like a goof. I get sister to sit on my lap and she actually begins to eat, the boys start to run around the house and chase each other, eating a bite or two occasionally, and it ends up being a mostly pleasant dinner. I know who Truman takes after with his love for routine though---having Nate and I both gone around dinner time sure did mess with my head and the flow of the evening!



5:55 pm | Must take care of that disgusting diaper, then we all head up for bath time. As I say, "I'll be back down in a second,Truman, I have to get bath started," Cecelia tallies a third 'moms sure have to do a lot.' Truman is asking about Henry's mom and dad, calling them "plutos" instead of a poodle and a Cocker Spaniel.

6:00 pm | Bath for littles, Homework for Tru. He sometimes does this in a most unconventional location. I swear I do clean the top of the toilet lid before it becomes a desk. I change into pajamas and it feels so freaking good. Bubble beards, then Truman joins the goofs. He tells me about a new job he has at school, setting chairs out for the kids each morning and I'm reminded again that he has quite the adventures at school without me knowing every play-by-play. Music playing from my phone, and I get a few adorable shots of the kiddos. I grab jammies and set out their clothes for tomorrow.





(I could post a hundred other bath photos but I'm proud of myself for keeping it minimal).


6:40 pm | Nate is home! Reports no 'brown spots' and I'm irritated that he didn't get all of the details about the newborn baby our dental hygenist just had. How can you not remember the name, Nathan?!  He could barely tell me if it was a girl or a boy but he 'thinks' it is a boy. Sigh. I get Porter out and dressed. Then help Truman just to save on time, although he's more than capable of doing this alone. He tells me how to spell 'daddy; and how many vowels are in that word, and starts spelling all of our names and talking about more vowels. Lastly I get Cecelia out and dressed in warmth of our tiny bathroom. CC is mad at her socks or possibly at me for putting them on incorrectly. I'm not sure but this is the start of her bedtime demise. Freaking socks.



7:00 pm | I'm done with dressing the children in the bathroom so I put away the two loads of folded laundry while Nate starts bedtime routine. T has my camera and is taking very artsy shots with it, but Cecelia cannot handle the fact that Truman gets the camera and not her. I give it to her for a bit then freaks when I take it away, and I know we are past the point of logic and she really just needs to go to bed to reset.



7:25 pm | Goodnight, Porter-P. As I shut his nursery door the giant wooden P falls off his shelf and knocks off a bunch of my decor from above. I go in to pick it up and he is not happy but recovers quickly, happily talking to himself before he finally falls asleep.

It's my turn for the bigs and sister is still quite disgruntled. I get her to settle after a quick time out in her room. I tell them my one made up story while we lay in my bed. Truman says, "This is worser than going to school. How were they on way home?" Ha, he is so thoughtful sometimes. I feel myself getting frustrated with Cecelia's constant crying and fussing and I have to breathe, counting to five twice in my head. I think this helps me to maintain composure for a little while at least, but oh---it's wearing on me and I HATE the drama/regret of a rough bedtime so much. Anyone feel me on this?

7:35 pm | Good night, children! I head downstairs and am aggressively doing dishes, when Nate starts to help. Put away dishes, put away laundry baskets, get milk cups ready for tomorrow. Pour a big bowl of peanut butter puffs cereal for myself because it sounds amazing. Nate announces Cecelia is crying for me and only me. He is leaving to get more tea and possibly to ice skate for a bit? Then he promises we will watch a Walking Dead once he returns.

7:50 pm | I check on CC and she just wants her socks off, because she is hot. Kiss her goodnight again, I hear Porter talking but Truman is passed out already. That's what no naps will do for a bedtime. Back down stairs to my cereal, my beloved cereal.

7:55 pm | No peeps from the kids, so beer me. Omg, so much yes. I've been trying a bunch of new IPAs lately and approve of this one. Also grab an Oreo and take Henry outside before settling onto my spot on the couch.



8:00 pm | Time to work on this post! Also message with Lori and the other daycare moms, tomorrow will be pajama day there. Hope Porter's eyes look better in the morning or I'm not sure I can send P to Lori. (Spoiler alert: I keep him home with Tony, seems like his eyes are really disgusting but they get a lot better through the day and our new doc says it's not pink eye when we meet her on Thursday). Take breaks here and there for FB checking and texting mom.

8:30 pm | 'I've still got it, don't worry,' Nate announces as he comes home. He did skate and also got us new tea. That was fast! Says it's super cold out and is kind of wheezy, has some new hot tea and tries to breathe.

8:50 pm | Start a Walking Dead, season three episode twelve. My focus on this post is lost and it's taking for freaking EVER to type, especially when watching zombies jump out and eat people.

9:30 pm | Episode over, was a good one but now I'm really tired and don't feel like finishing the text for this post tonight. Zone out on my phone for a bit, Nate goes upstairs, and I figure it's time to grind the coffee for tomorrow and prep the kitchen for breakfast and call it an evening.

10:00 pm | Wash face, brush teeth, set alarm for the morning, and fall fast asleep within about 3 minutes of my head hitting the pillow.



Get a solid night of sleep, wake to my alarm at 6:15 and am SO happy the nights of multiple wake ups appear to be behind us!!

Tallies of the day:
Times assuming the worst case scenarios: (cancer, burns, frostbite, van stealing, pink eye) 5
Active text threads: 6
Critical breakdowns by Porter: 1
Critical breakdowns by CC: 2-6, some are very long and hard to quantify
Caffeinated beverages: 3
Alcoholic beverages: 1
Weather talk: 20+
Hours spent awake this day: 16.5
Hours asleep next night: 8.25
Times my head nearly explodes from happiness: 2
Times I have to breathe and count to avoid SNAPPING at a child: 2
Times Cecelia said 'There's a lot of things to do when you are a mommy.': 3