Anyone with kids will tell you that the days at home with little ones are long and busy. I often find myself chatting about my time at home with Dessa and Harvey on Facebook and Instagram. There seem to be two types of moms who chime into those discussions: new moms in the trenches who find their own days quite full with babies and young children; and more experienced mothers with older children who vividly recall the exhausting moments with little ones in tow. I’ll be the first to agree that there is a lot of magic and sweetness in my days at home, but I am completely exhausted when my head finally hits the pillow at the end of the day.
I recently thought about a blog post I shared two years ago that outlined Dessa’s day from start to finish through her eyes. At the time, she was 19 months old (just a few months older than Harvey is now) and I was just barely pregnant with Harvey, but didn’t realize it yet. After scrolling through “A Day in the Life of a Toddler,” I thought it was time for a follow-up. So I grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil and set out to record every moment of my day chasing around our toddler and preschooler.
It’s worth noting that the day I’m about to share happened nearly a month ago. It was one of Harvey’s last days in diapers before we began potty training him and I wanted to record the day while I had time to take notes without the chaos of rushing a very young toddler to the bathroom every 20 minutes. If you scroll through the entire post, you will see that Valentine’s Day comes up a few times – that’s how long it took for me to finally get all of my notes typed up and coherent enough to share with you. Potty training has been an adventure, and I’m finally getting back into the swing of my old routines and productivity. Hopefully, you’ll start hearing from us a bit more often on the blog and social media. Until then, here’s a look back at a very average day in the life of this mommy.
5:40 AM: Awoke to the sound of Harvey screeching and calling for me from his crib
5:41 AM: I’m not quite ready to get out of my nice warm bed and face another day, so I’ll just do a quick scroll of my phone to see if I missed anything important while I was sleeping.
5:43 AM: Harvey is still screeching, so I might as well get out of bed and start moving. But first, I need to go to the bathroom really quickly and pee.
5:45 AM: Harvey quieted down for a minute, so I’ll run to the basement really quick and grab some ground turkey from the freezer to thaw for tonight’s dinner.
5:47 AM: Alright. Back upstairs and turkey is thawing. Rob is in the bathroom, so I guess it’s time to go deal with the kids.
5:48 AM: Well, this is new. Harvey just wanted to stay in his bed. He literally backed himself into the corner of the crib. I think he wants Rob to get him, but he has me instead, so out he comes.
5:53 AM: Dessa is also wide awake and wants to have a race with me to see who gets dressed first. Sounds good to me, I’ll run and change into my workout clothes.
6:00 AM: Ok, Dessa and I are both dressed and we have a lot to do. First, I’ll help her put an X on the calendar for yesterday and discuss our plans for today. Now I need to get the kids a little yogurt since Dessa chose it as her treat for sleeping through the night. Time to brush my teeth, empty the little potty in the kids’ room that Dessa uses at night, fill my water bottle, and put some clothes away while Rob gets the kids settled with the rest of their breakfast.
6:26 AM: Time to finally head upstairs for my morning workout.
6:30 AM: I’m in the middle of warming up for my workout and I can hear both kids screaming downstairs. I’ll just try to ignore the screams while I power through and get my exercise in for the day.
6:54 AM: Ok, workout complete. Now it’s time to head back downstairs and help with the kids, who sound very wound up at the moment.
6:56 AM: Dessa is ready for her braids so I’ll grab the iPad really quick and let her watch the first half of Daniel Tiger while I do her hair.
7:15 AM: Dessa’s hair is done and she put the iPad away, but now she is screaming at me like a crazy person about God-knows-what, so into time out she goes before I hop into the shower.
7:20 AM: I was really hoping to enjoy a few peaceful moments to myself in the shower. Instead, I can hear Dessa screaming and crying “I want Mamma!” to Rob. Sigh. I wonder if she needs to go back in time out.
7:39 AM: I can see that we are in for a very emotional day, thanks to that way-too-early morning wake-up. Just helped settle the showdown that was brewing between Rob and Dessa. She wanted a snack, but Rob needed her to eat something more substantial to start the day. All it took was a little peanut butter on her graham crackers and the crisis has been temporarily averted.
7:43 AM: Of course Harvey is now insisting on a snack because he saw that Dessa has food. I’ll head to the pantry and grab a few crackers to appease him.
7:44 AM: Now that both kids are quiet (for the moment), I’ll just pop into the bedroom to make our bed.
7:47 AM: Harvey is asking for more snacks. I’ll hand him a few more crackers, then run to the basement and throw in a quick load of laundry.
7:49 AM: It has been a few since I bothered to put makeup on, and I would really love to feel like a normal person today. I’ll take a few minutes to make myself up before Rob goes to work.
7:57 AM: My makeup is done, but here comes Harvey, and of course he wants to play in the bathroom. He has way too much interest in the toilet bowl full of water, so I’ll hang out here and supervise to make sure he doesn’t try to flush anything.
8:00 AM: Apparently Harvey wants to try going potty on the toilet. Fine by me. I’ll get that diaper off, pick him up, and hang out for a minute while he tries to go.
8:04 AM: No pee from Harvey, but I’m really proud of him for trying. Since he’s already halfway undressed, we might as well head into the bedroom for a fresh diaper and some clean clothes.
8:08 AM: Feeling thankful that I took the time to curl my hair a few days ago and it’s still looking semi-decent. Let me just spray in a little dry shampoo, put on my jewelry for the day, and grab a cup of coffee so I can finally relieve Rob and let him head into the foyer for work.
8:11 AM: Quick hugs and kisses for Rob before he steps into his “office” to get some work done.
8:15 AM: Well, the living room somehow already looks like a bomb went off. Let’s clean this mess up so the kids and I can go play upstairs for a while.
8:20 AM: THANK GOD Rob and I saved this space as a playroom for the kids. They always play so nicely upstairs and give me a much-needed sanity break. It’s so peaceful to sit by the table and play restaurant with Dessa and Harvey. Dessa made me a cake in her kitchen and is pretending it’s my birthday.
8:32 AM: Dessa just found her princess dress and is asking me to put in on a hanger so she can pretend it’s a girl. Fine by me. It’s always entertaining to watch Dessa play and dance with her “girl”, plus it gives Harvey a chance to play restaurant on his own terms while she’s distracted.
8:37 AM: Quick run downstairs to grab a stuffed dog and a jacket from Dessa’s closet that I promised she could play in. Harvey is screaming because I left the room so I need to hurry. His scream is piercing.
8:38 AM: The kids are playing dress-up and everyone is happy for a few blissful minutes.
8:52 AM: It was only a matter of time until someone started crying. Dessa remembered that a bead came off her veil a few weeks ago and is very upset over it.
8:56 AM: Thank you Harvey for being so silly! Your goofy little antics helped calm Dessa down from her great big feelings about the missing bead.
8:58 AM: Who knew that a small bead on a veil could be such a big deal? Dessa looks like she might be ready to snap out of her funk, but first, we need to have a big hug to help her feel better.
9:00 AM: Dessa is now happily doing somersaults and rolling around all over the floor. Crisis managed. Thank God.
9:15 AM: The kids are happily playing together around the corner. I’m not exactly sure what they are doing, but I know better than to mess with a good thing. I’ll just take a quick scroll through my phone while they play quietly together and grab a few sips of my cold coffee.
9:17 AM: Break over. Dessa needs some help to undo the buckles on her baby carrier, and the calm moment is a perfect time to try to teach her how to unlatch those buckles by herself.
9:20 AM: Successfully talked the kids into taking a quick selfie with me. I love how Harvey says “eeeese” with a goofy grin any time he knows someone is trying to take a picture.
9:25 AM: Dessa just took a toy away from Harvey and needs to get a timeout. Of course, I have to carry her down the stairs screaming because she refuses to go on her own. Now that she’s in her bedroom, I’ll quickly run to the bathroom and head back upstairs to poor Harvey, who is very upset that we left him alone in the playroom.
9:32 AM: Dessa finished her timeout and Harvey is screaming once again because I left him alone to go get his sister. I can’t wait for nap time to come.
9:37 AM: I think the magic of playing upstairs has officially worn off. As soon as I can get both kids on board with helping me clean up, we can head back downstairs to eat some snacks.
9:49 AM: Ok, the kids both have snacks in their hands and are quiet (for at least a few minutes.) Never mind. Dessa just spit water all over herself and is pretty unhappy because she doesn’t like being wet. Now she needs to change her clothes.
9:50 AM: What on earth is Dessa whining about now? Let me check on her while she gets dressed. Apparently, she has a small scratch on her leg that she just noticed, even though it looks like she got it a few days ago. Sounds about right.
9:53 AM: It’s going to be time for Harvey’s nap really soon and I’ll finally eat breakfast while he’s down. Let me put some green beans to steam on the stove while I get Harvey ready for his nap.
9:59 AM: Alright, Dessa is all set up with her episode of Daniel Tiger on the iPad – which gives me some uninterrupted time with Harvey to read stories and get him settled in the crib.
10:18 AM: Well, stories are done and Harvey is in the crib, but he’s screaming his head off. I’ll cook the rest of my breakfast and pray that he eventually passes out.
10:25 AM: Quickly poached some eggs and put them on a plate with my steamed green beans, and of course here’s Dessa by my side and asking for oatmeal, even though I know Rob gave her something to eat while I worked out this morning. OK, oatmeal it is. I just started making her oatmeal and now she is asking to play with the Swiffer. Ok, I’ll grab it really quick hoping it gives me a chance to finish making her oatmeal in peace and finally eat my own breakfast. Oh, good Lord, now she’s asking a million “why?” questions.
10:40 AM: “I’m done answering questions, Dessa!” At least she’s eating the oatmeal I made for her.
10:43 AM: Crap. Harvey is still screaming and is clearly not going to nap. I’ll go get him and try to finally eat afterward.
10:45 AM: Semi-cold poached eggs and steamed green beans isn’t the worst thing I’ve eaten, but it’s also not the best. And it would be a lot easier to eat them if I wasn’t holding Harvey right now.
10:50 AM: Of course Harvey wants to get down now that I’m done scarfing down my cold breakfast. I’ll take his sleep sack off so he can go play in the living room with Dessa and her Swiffer.
10:52 AM: Now that Harvey is out of the room, I can take the last few bits of my breakfast, clean the kitchen, and throw a sweet potato in the microwave for Harvey to eat at lunch. I’m still hungry, but I’ll just wait until I have some quiet time to eat in peace.
10:57 AM: Here comes Harvey with the iPad and he’s ready to put it away in my nightstand, where it belongs. Sometimes it boggles my mind and completely amazes me that he knows exactly where we keep everything. Of course, now that he’s in my nightstand, he discovered my chapstick and wants to carry it around the house. OK, that’s enough mischief. Time to pick Harvey up and find something else for him to do.
11:00 AM: Well, that was easy. Once I closed the door to my bedroom, Harvey immediately wanted to get down and chase after Dessa. He dropped the chapstick immediately on his quest to find her. Now that I’m alone for 10 seconds, I’ll put the chapstick and the Swiffer away while the kids are distracted.
11:05 AM: Almost time for lunch! I’ll just cut Harvey’s sweet potato for him. Both kids are in the kitchen where I can see them – Dessa is playing and Harvey is sitting at her little table. I tried putting Harvey in his highchair to eat, but he wants nothing to do with it. I’ll try again in a few minutes, but right now I’m just happy that he’s sitting and content.
11:08 AM: Dessa really wants to “do a job” and won’t stop whining about it. I have no idea what kind of job she wants to do, but she’s insisting that I come with her to the closet where we keep the games and art supplies, so this should be interesting.
11:12 AM: I’ve been standing in the closet with Dessa for three minutes while she tries to decide what she wants to do. It’s pretty clear that she doesn’t actually want to have any of the art supplies I store in here, but she wants to do something. I’ll see if she wants to work on a cutting page with her scissors. Yes! That sounds like fun to her. Thank goodness.
11:13 AM: Dessa is momentarily distracted and talking to Harvey, so I’ll head back into the kitchen to get ready for lunch. Sigh. Now Dessa is back at my side, pawing and me and whining about wanting to do the scissor job we decided on. Thankfully, Rob just stepped out of his office in the foyer to join us for lunch. He’s going to tend to Harvey in the kitchen so I can do scissors with Dessa.
11:20 AM: Since Dessa is taking some time to work on cutting, I’ll quickly do a little prep work for her to make valentines. She cuts fast so I hope I can get my prep done before she runs out of work to do.
11:30 AM: Dessa is busy playing with the pieces she cut out and is occupied for the moment. I just need a few more minutes and then I’ll be ready to make Valentine cards.
11:32 AM: Whew! Prep is done and just in the knick of time. I’ll show Dessa how to cut a heart shape out of a folded piece of paper. I think she’ll get a kick out of it.
11:50 AM: Ok, hearts have been cut (she loved it as predicted) and now Dessa is gluing her hearts onto paper doilies.
12:05 PM: Now that the Valentine cards are complete, Dessa and I can create a plan to deliver them to our neighbors. It’s always hard to motivate her to leave the house, so we need to start talking about delivering Valentines now if I want them to get delivered in the next day or two. Looks like Harvey is done eating lunch, and it’s time for Rob to go back to work. Bye, Daddy! See you later!
12:10 PM: Poor Harvey. He was running around chewing on a toy and he must have bitten it too hard because he just started screaming. I’m sure a hug and a kiss will help him feel better. Yup, that did the trick. Now the kids are ready to run around and play together.
12:19 AM: Dessa has to pee and wants to use the little toilet in her bedroom. I’ll stay nearby and keep an eye on both kids. Harvey has been really curious about pee left in a toilet and I never know when his interest is going to lead to a mess.
12:26 AM: Why are our days so chaotic?!?! Harvey just lifted the bathroom toilet lid with toys in-hand while Dessa is playing on the floor in the bathroom with her bath toys. I know exactly what would have happened to those toys if I wasn’t nearby when he came into the bathroom. Now the door is closed to keep him away from the toilet and Harvey is not happy about it.
12:29 AM: Apparently it isn’t very fun to play with toys all by yourself in the bathroom, because Dessa just brought the bath toys into the kitchen. Harvey saw the bath toys, started to grab them, and now both kids are screaming and unwilling to share. Maybe if I give Harvey the play tea set it will distract him.
12:30 PM: Peace has once again been restored. Harvey is playing with the tea set while Dessa uses the bath toys and no one is screaming right now.
12:40 PM: I probably lost my mind because both kids are now playing with the tea set and I’m filling the kids’ cups with water for them while they sit at the little table in the kitchen and take drinks. I can’t venture too far away because Harvey keeps getting off his chair and needs my help to safely sit on it again. Maybe I’ll take a quick scroll through my phone while they play.
1:04 PM: The “tea party” is still going strong, but soon it will be time to nap. Time to give Dessa a heads up of what’s coming next and set a timer for when we need to get ready for naps.
1:06 PM: Time to clean up the tea party supplies and wipe up all the spilled water from the floor with a towel before it causes any damage.
1:10 PM: Well, Harvey is officially soaked from all those cups of water. Time for a diaper change and quick change of clothes so we can head upstairs and get Dessa settled for her nap.
1:15 PM: Just got upstairs and of course Dessa immediately started doing somersaults all over the playroom. Clearly, she has a lot of energy to get out. I’ll set a 5-minute timer for her to play and Harvey to dance to Ring around the Rosie, then it’s time to lie down and rest.
1:21 PM: OK, Dessa is laying down on the couch and Mary Poppins is all set on the TV for her to watch until she falls asleep. What? She wants me to read her a story? Nope. Dessa knows the routine and she chose to spend her 5 minutes rolling around on the floor. She knows how this works. Play is finished and now it’s time for a nap. Besides, poor Harvey is exhausted and is ready for his nap. I’ll just close the gate and let her scream while I take care of Harvey.
1:41 PM: Thank goodness one of my children is easy to put down for a nap. Harvey is in his sleep sack, snuggled up on my lap, and enjoying a few books before it’s time to rest. I know that this will be a battle with him one day, but right now I’m thankful that he is so easy to put down to rest.
1:48 PM: Harvey is miraculously settled in his crib, despite all the screaming that’s going on upstairs. I’ll just take a quick peek at the monitor to see what Dessa’s up to. She’s just sitting and crying. Hopefully she’s wearing herself out pretty good and will crash when she finally settles down.
1:55 PM: There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight for Dessa’s tantrum. I’ll go upstairs and see if I can get her to calm down.
1:58 PM: Thank goodness Dessa is finally settling. All it took was a hug and some gentle affection. Once I got the tantrum under control, I offered to snuggle with her – we are currently watching Mary Poppins for a few minutes before I duck out and head back downstairs.
2:05 PM: Dessa is laying down peacefully and I finally have some peace and quiet all to myself.
2:08 PM: I’m starving! I have to make lunch, but I’m so hungry, I need a snack right now. A couple of mini rice cakes with almond butter will make a good quick snack before I fix myself a salad.
2:20 PM: Sheesh! This kitchen is a mess. My lunch is ready to go, but I won’t be able to relax knowing that this mess is waiting for me to come clean it up. I’ll just take a few minutes to put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and clean the countertop before I sit down to eat.
2:37 PM: All I want to do is sit on the sofa, put my feet up, eat my salad and watch a few mindless minutes of Gilmore Girls while the house is quiet. I’m also freezing and can’t wait to warm up. Let me just grab a blanket so I can fully relax during the show.
2:48 PM: Well, that was a short break. Harvey is awake, screaming, and calling my name. I guess I’ll finish my salad later.
2:50 PM: I’ll just make a quick run to the bathroom and then get Harvey out of his crib.
3:02 PM: I’ve been holding Harvey for the past 10 minutes, but he is still pretty upset and does not want to be put down. I guess I’ll bring him along with me to grab some laundry from the basement that needs to be folded.
3:05 PM: Man, I am dragging right now. It’s pretty late, but the coffee in the pot is half-caf. I’ll pour myself a cup and hope that it gives me a little extra energy.
3:11 PM: Harvey still insists on being held, and he is asking for Dessa. Poor guy needs to wait a while because she is sound asleep. I kind of wish Dessa was awake because he’s pretty unhappy without her and just wants to be held. He doesn’t want any books, toys or music; and wasn’t even in the mood for a selfie with Mama.
3:13 PM: Since Harvey clearly doesn’t want anything else, let’s see if a snack will help cheer him up. He hasn’t had graham crackers in a while. Maybe that will do the trick. Ah, there’s my happy boy!
3:16 PM: Now that Harvey is happily munching on his graham crackers, I can try and tackle this basket of laundry that needs to be folded.
3:25 PM: Let’s head into the kitchen since Harvey is asking for more crackers.
3:26 PM: Oh my goodness, this boy knows exactly how to melt his Mama’s heart. I’m back to folding laundry in the living room and he just toddled over to give me kisses before finishing his snack. He is the absolute sweetest boy I know.
3:27 PM: Harvey is bopping up and down while he points to the radio – which can only mean one thing – the boy wants some music that he can dance to. Fine by me because he’s the cutest little dancer and it always keeps him occupied.
3:29 PM: Here comes Rob from his office hideaway in the foyer. Looks like he’s done for the day and we can chat to catch up on the past few hours.
3:31 PM: Harvey channeled all of his cuteness and convinced Rob and me to dance and play with him on the rug. This is one of those rare moments of the day where he has our uninterrupted attention while Dessa naps and I know it’s special for all three of us.
3:40 PM: Household duties are calling my name. Let me just quickly put these freshly folded pillowcases away. They are looking pretty beat up since they’re about 10 years old, but I love this set of pillowcases so much. They’re always soft and cool to the touch. I wonder if I can still purchase these exact pillowcases at the store. I’ll check the tag, then hop online really quick and see if I can find an exact replacement online.
3:59 PM: Woah, searching for pillowcases proved to be quite the rabbit hole. Turns out, this brand and style of pillowcase are available in several different thread count options. Reading the reviews wasn’t particularly helpful, so I guess I’ll have to shop in-store and hope to find an exact match. I want to dig around some more online, but Dessa is up now and is asking for a treat since she took such a good nap.
4:04 PM: Dessa has her treat, and I just put “meatloaf cupcakes” in the oven for dinner. Things are relatively quiet right now. It’s a good time to clean up the kitchen, tidy up the house and do general chaos control while the kids are occupied with Rob.
4:37 PM: While we wait for dinner to cook, it’s a great time to head outside and deliver some of the Valentine cards Dessa made to our neighbors. Let’s bundle up really quick so we can deliver the cards before dinner.
4:42 PM: The 20-degree temperature is freezing, but this is the most fresh air I’ve had all week and it feels so good. I can tell Dessa is loving every moment of our time together. She just grabbed my hand and said “I love special Mama-Dessa walks.” Sometimes she can be so incredibly sweet, and it’s nice to have a few minutes for just the two of us.
4:53 PM: Ok, that was quick! Let’s head back inside the house to warm up and get ready for dinner! Of course, Dessa just left her winter gear all over the floor and needs a reminder to put them away properly.
5:02 PM: Rob got the rest of dinner ready while I was outside with Dessa and it’s finally time to sit down for dinner! Everyone is seated and ready for prayer. Let’s pray, then eat!
5:04 PM: Oops, looks like Rob forgot the green beans. I’ll pop up really quick and heat them in the microwave.
5:06 PM: Ok, here come the beans. Now I can finally eat! I’m starving. Wait – there’s no butter. Let me run and grab it while Rob helps the kids with their food.
5:08 PM: Ok, I think we finally have everything we need. Hopefully I can get through the rest of the meal without having to run and grab anything else from the kitchen.
5:23 PM: Now that dinner is finished, I am exhausted and really sleepy. Bedtime can’t come soon enough tonight. In the meantime, it’s bath night for the kids, so I might as well go get the bath ready for them.
5:29 PM: Both kids are getting a bath and we are in the home stretch for getting the kids tucked into bed. Thankfully, I have a little more energy than I did right after dinner and the kids are always pretty low-maintenance while they’re in the tub. I just need to wash them both down, then sit back and supervise while they play in the water. Harvey needs frequent reminders not to drink the bath water, but the rest is pretty smooth sailing.
5:52 PM: Ok, bath time is finished! Both kids are out of the tub, dried off, lotioned up, and we can head into their bedroom to get them dressed in pajamas. Bath time was relaxing, but this tends to be where things go downhill since Dessa will try anything and everything to avoid getting dressed into her pajamas at night.
6:04 PM: As predicted, Dessa isn’t in any hurry to put her pajamas on, but Harvey is too little to successfully resist getting dressed, so he is good to go. I’m just sitting in the rocker in their room trying to nudge Dessa into finally getting ready for bed while she acts silly in her underwear. Harvey just raided his basket of books and brought one over for me to read. Sure, Harvey. Come sit with me and we will read some stories while we wait for Dessa to put her pajamas on.
6:11 PM: Finally! Dessa decided to cooperate and put her pajamas on. I promised to get a new book out of the attic to read with her and that did the trick. Now both kids are heading into the bathroom to brush teeth with Rob and I’ll run quickly run upstairs to find a new book to read with Dessa tonight.
6:20 PM: We are in the home stretch! Both kids are settled and ready for stories. Harvey is snuggled up and ready to read his books on Rob’s lap in the nursery glider, while Dessa is settled in bed and ready for bedtime prayers and her special new book with me.
6:34 PM: Stories are read, and it’s time to sing bedtime songs. We’ve been singing Baa Baa Black Sheep at bedtime for over two years and I just wish Dessa would sing it to herself by now, but here we are singing it to the kids yet again.
6:37 PM: I’ll give Dessa her goodnight hug and kiss from me first while Rob lays Harvey in the crib, then I’ll stop by the crib on my way to the door so Harvey can have a hug and kiss as well. He lays down for Rob, but always pops up in the crib so he can stand at the rail and wrap his arms around my neck for a proper hug goodnight.
6:38 PM: Rob left a minute ago and I’m so close to leaving these kids so they can finally go to sleep, but Dessa is pulling out all the stops to keep me in her bedroom. She’s desperately trying to think of one last thing to say to me before I close the door and is defaulting once again to asking me to buy her “a house and a school for her friends”. I have absolutely no idea what she means by that, but I assure her that I’ll try to find one on my computer. She and Harvey must a bedtime stall plan worked out because Harvey has spent the past minute giving me constant hugs and kisses over the rails of his crib while Dessa stumbled and stuttered for any words she could utter to keep me in her bedroom. Now that Dessa has had the reassurance that I’ll try to buy whatever made-up thing she requested, she’s finally ready to settle down for the night and I’m ready to give Harvey one last kiss, then pry myself away from his crib and close their bedroom door for the night.
6:39 PM: Success! Both kids are in bed and ready to sleep. It takes a while for them to settle, so I’ll head into my bedroom for a little while like Rob and I do every night after bedtime. It’s kind of a pain to hide out in our room and it’s a routine we ought to stop soon and start dealing out a little tough love, but Dessa settles for sleep so much easier if she doesn’t hear us moving around after she’s tucked in and it’s not her fault that their bedroom is located in the center of the house where she can hear any and all activities happening on the first floor.
6:42 PM: Since I have some time to kill, I’ll scroll through my phone for a while. I know there are several emails that I need to look through and I wanted to add a few things for the kids to my Amazon shopping cart, plus I still want to do a little research and try to find the exact same pillowcases for our bed.
7:07 PM: Ok, enough random scrolling online. I need to find and organize some photos for a writing project I want to start with Dessa.
7:47 PM: Valentine’s day is coming up and I really want to find something fun and new to make that day that both kids will want to eat. I wonder if there are any good recipes that are gluten and dairy-free that my kids will actually eat.
8:36 PM: I’m exhausted and ready to quit for the night. I never drink during the week these days, but I dealt with so much kid drama today and really want a gin & tonic. I’m going to head to the bathroom, change into pajamas, wash my face and make a quick cocktail as a special treat.
8:55 PM: Rob is done working on his household stuff and is ready to start relaxing for the night. We’ve been listening to the Bible in the Year podcast almost every night, and I have a terrible habit of falling asleep during the episodes. I’m hoping that having a drink in my hand will help me stay awake and focused for the full podcast tonight.
9:13 PM: Well, the drink helped a little. I started to doze a bit after it was gone, but I stayed awake better than usual and actually heard some of the commentary at the end. Rob and I usually like to watch something together on the iPad before bed, but I don’t have the energy for anything longer than 20 minutes, so let’s just watch an old episode of 30 Rock on Hulu and call it a night.
9:39 PM: Almost time to call it a night. I just need to roll out of bed one more time to use the bathroom and brush my teeth.
9:43 PM: I am done for the night, but Rob plans to stay up and read for a bit. I have no idea how he can stay awake for so long because I am spent. I’ll kiss him goodnight, then watch a few minutes of an old Gilmore Girls episode on the iPad and, go to sleep around 10:00.
10:00 PM: That’s it. I’m done. Goodnight.
