6:11 AM// get up after pressing snooze on the iphone once (not my photo, but I thought it was cool.)
6:11 AM//The "I'm almost in high school" boy is getting in the shower. We're working on shortening the length of the shower. I'm guessing I was the same way at that age. My Dad used to turn off the hot water and I thought he was so mean. He's such a good kid and tries whatever we talk about improving on. Uses timers, and apps and still forgets. Teenagers....sigh. We will make it.
Sleeping in like it's her "Mom, I know I'm almost a teeneager" job.
6:20 AM///Make my way downstaris, bleary eyed. I never get enough sleep to conquer my stresses from the day before. Someone wants to eat.
6:30 AM//throw together one of the lunches that someone forgot to pack the night before. Tough love is too hard this early in the morning. I'm too nice.
6:30 AM//Cinammon tea while the big boy eats his oatmeal with blueberries and chia seeds. I love that he cares about eating healthy and making sure he gets a good breakfast.
6:55 AM//He's ready to go. All about wearing "preppier" clothes this year, khakis and a button shirt.
I take gummy kids vitamins.
7:03 AM// Bus comes for the big kids at the end of the street. Cars line up to wish them well. Gosh they are growing up so fast.
7:05 AM// Looking a little like spring, although I wish it were warmer! Hoping to finish those porch steps next Month.
7:15 AM// They are up and sit down to their breakfasts. Mini wheats for her, Koala Krisp for him. OJ, cheesetick, Apples in little ceramic cups. I always want to make sure they have fruit. I bang out a couple of instagram posts feeling inspired by the photos I've captured so far. One goes something like: "It's not the wild and crazy trips that they'll remember, It's the mundane breakfasts up at the bar. The breakfast music we danced to. It's the arguments over cereal. It's the sorry note she left him for fake sleeping when he tried to wake her up. It's our every day"
7:28 AM//I let the first one down pick the breakfast dancing song. Now she wants to do it every day. she likes "eyes on me" (Shut up and Dance) He requests "Eye of the tiger"
7:30 AM///eat my breakfast standing up, Granola, coconut flakes, chia seeds and fruit with Milk
7:40 AM// She's been working really hard on doing her own hair. She's got it down now. I love how she says "MOM, I know, I'm in 5th grade, I can do it myself!" Yes she can.
Some mornings are a struggle, some are smooth.
7:45 AM// feeling the anxiety creep up that we are going to be late for the bus and are still looking for all the things we need (gloves, shoes, library books....sigh). Leaving the dishes for now.
7:55 AM//we made the bus. It's kind of cold out and the boy goes to school without a coat. I worry a little. The day gets quiet.
J checks in from Boston.
8:-8:30 AM///clean up dishes, drink tea, check email and social media. Put in laundry, brush my teeth.
8:30 AM//get ready for my run. Think about how the last few years self care (sleep, diet, exercise) has really taken a back burner to stress and family and community needs. Working on that. Especially the stress part. I love that I have downlaoded a bunch of new music this year to run to. I also love the Scrapgals podcast. Listening gets me through.
8:35 AM// 2 mile run and some pushups, squats and planks. "I regret that morning exercise" says no one. ever. always Feels good to be done.
This tea is my favorite this year.
Dog gets exercised right when I get back.. It's our routine and she knows it.
9:30 AM//shower and dressed. I dress up by putting on jeans (usally just sweats these days) to go out clothes shopping and for lunch with a freind. Really looking forward to getting out.
Oh, and I dropped my camera on the carpet and broke my lens. I'll cry about this later for sure. Clumsiness and absentmindeness goes hand in hand with my stress level lately.
10:30 AM//Trying on clothes. I love Eddie Bauer and LOFT. Really feeling a revamp of my closet is in order. Pants are 40% off so I get 2 pairs and 2 shirts at Eddie Bauer and 2 shirts and a pair of pants at LOFT. A new pair of shoes and that should do it for spring. Dressing for spring is so hard here. It's warm and cold.
Found NOT one pair of shoes in 5,000 in this place. I'm real picky about what I bring into my closet these days and where I spend my money. I'm more likely to spend more on fewer things. I want everything in there to by my favorite.
12L30 PM//We opted for a really bad for us lunch after waiting in line for a few minutes at the healthy place. So good though. No dinner for me after this! We talk kids and school and husbands and activities. Politics and life and our strong opinions. I'm the person who likes to talk my stress out with anyone who will listen. Always a good talk with her.
2:56 PM//I go home and he arrives home, he walks from the bus stop 1/4 mile most days. I love that he still wants to give hugs and spend time with me.
3:00 PM//He feeds the dog. It's their routine.
3:03 PM//He gets a snack and settles in for homework time. Usually 30-60 mins a night. Pretty much snacks and eats from the time he gets home till his activities then bed. Growing boy.
His Sperrys. Way too big for me now.
3:10 PM//the intermediate school kids get home. I Pick them up in the car.
He's tired after a day of "testing" one thing I don't like about schools these days. Yes, we have chosen public school, but I really think learning should be so much more "free-er" Boo, to the testing and yes to more outside time.
3:20 PM//he always has a project going. This time it's a fortune teller. "MOM, pick a number"
3:45 PM//the girl leaves for Speech therapy with her awesome (leaving us!) support staff person. The boys take advantage and get some outside lax time.
Of course there is fighting. One boy is too impuslive for his own good and one is too sensitive for his own good. They work it out.
5:15 PM//after a quick dinner for the big, were off to 207 Middle School lacrosse league.
riding around in our 10 year old van. We're hoping to replace it this fall. I Love these kids. NO one ids happy all the daym, and I'm not in complete control of their happpiness, but I love it when they are happy and things are easy. I love it when they feel supported and successful. I love it when they struggle and figure it out on their own and come out on the other side of it. I love supporting them in the things they love to do.
5:45 PM//I love his little smile when he turns around to say goodbye to me. I love that he ALWAYS thanks me for the things I do for him. I love that he always thanks everyone else for the things they do for him. If gratitude is all he learns, I'm good with that.
5:45 PM//drop off at lax, then off to Hannaford to pick up the littlest boy's dinner (his reward for sitting and watching).
J on his way home, a short trip this week, yay!
6:15 PM//always a graphic novel or an audio book with this one. He just loves humor. He's read them all 50 times.
7:00 PM/ They ended up losing by 1 in OT. (Their record is 4-1 though). He had fun. I make sure that the only thing I ask for the after game/practice check in is "did you have fun?" The rest is his experience to have. Afterward we checked out the lax shop and I was finally able to fulfill the promise of a new stick shaft that we had given him an "I owe you" on from his last birthday (August!). Anyway, it was a great sale so were glad we waited.
8:00 PM//Everyone's home! I love how she always leaves him a note for when he gets back from his trips. Always. She always says something about him being a "goober" (they call each other that) and him making her egg sandwiches for breakfast the next day.
My whole life right here.
8:30 PM//Bedtime: brushing teeth and snuggles and a shot of pure cherry juice (natural melatonin and antioxidants)
one of my favorties of the day.
She knows how to hold her own with the boys,. She may be little but she is a fierce and can dish out the "tazers"
He has been practicing the nightly three good things gratitude journal ritual since last October. He almost has a notebook full. I use the time to check in about school and friends and anything he may be struggling with. Parenting is hard.
9:00 PM///We settle in for a nightly mindless show. Better Call Saul this time. We have 3-4 shows going off and on , one per night and it's our best wind down time. Kids sometimes call us up and down (and we get annoyed) but we will miss this (and them!) someday. Usually I end up falling asleep on the couch and wake up to him shutting down the stove and turning out the lights. I'm usually in bed by 10-10:30. And to start all over tomorrow.
Honestly, I love my life. the good, the bad, the ups the downs. The stuff I have learned. The perspective. The absolute roller coaster of parenting three school aged children. Working, trying to manage it all with J's travel. Finding balance. Taking care of myself and of them. Struggling to practice giving away love and kindness and accepting the imprefection. I wouldn't want it any other way.
