Sunday, Fun Day...

Here is Day 7 of my "Week in the Life"...

6:10 am: Baby B wakes up...soother back in and sleeps until 6:50...up & at 'em and the morning routine is underway.

7:00 am: Rod gets up, showers, takes garbage out, gets water jugs filled, comes home & heads into shop - all this a Sunday morning routine for him.

9:00 am: Try putting Baby B down for a nap...but he is too awake. Bring him back out to the living room and let him play while I work on my Project Life journalling cards

9:45 am: Try nap again...and it works!
9:50 am: Sound asleep - kind of windy out, so change clothes (into running gear) - leave baby monitor with Rod (who is now out in the shop) and head out for a run without baby, but with dog
10:45 am: Back from run - rosy red cheeks - love the feeling after a good run...a "good" tired! Sometimes it is so hard to get yourself out the door, but it always feels so good after you have accomplished it! Running is a very mental sport, in my opinion...

10:52 am: Baby B awake
11:00 am: Shower for me, play time in bouncy chair in bathroom for Baby B...find out that Rod will not be home to watch Baby B this afternoon...so he must come with me
12:00 am: pack bag and head out to watch dance recital (brings back so many memories of me in ballet many years ago)...getting so used to packing everything but the kitchen sink in the diaper bag that it doesn't even close sometimes

 

4:30 pm: home from dance recital
4:45 pm: Skype with the Noakes (they are a second "mom & dad" for me...and my little cousin Kels is like a little sister...just {love} this family so much)

5:15 pm: Rod gets in some quality time with Baby B while I get organized for supper - Oscar is upset about something and pacing tiny circles around & around Rod and Baby B...I eat leftovers because so hungry...in the hustle & bustle I haven't yet eaten today...and my blood sugar is letting me know that!

6:00 pm: I play with Baby B while Rod eats leftovers...get supper ready for the littlest Day and feed him - skype with Grandma Jane while he eats.
7:05 pm: Rod takes Baby B for a bath
7:15 pm: I get Baby B in his jams, nurse, feed bottle & put to bed.
8:35 pm: I kiss Rod goodnight, run through the "to-do" list that is in my head...decide it can all wait for tomorrow...and head to bed!!

Phew...this week is OVER!
(but I've formed a new habit and keep on snapping pics Monday am when I get up...until I realize the project is finished!)

I loved this process, but really needed to take more "on the go" pictures out & about.  Sometimes remembered my camera, but got busy and forgot to take pics...sometimes forgot the camera at home...and sometimes snapped 20 of the same old thing. I don't really feel I captured our life 100% by the pictures that I took this week, but hopefully there are enough to evoke the feelings of our life at this very moment in time.

Hope you have enjoyed a glimpse at the Days' lives: April 19 - 25, 2010!

Sssssssssaturday!

I love Saturdays! Always have and probably always will.
Here is why.
When I was a "working woman", Saturdays (particularly the mornings) were always a time to do a "deep clean" of the house.  Somehow, this tradition has stuck around, even though I am home every day.  I'm not sure why - perhaps it is because Rod quite often works Saturdays, but will sometimes be home a little earlier than standard weekdays, and I like to have "my chores" done by the time he is home. I just love the feeling in the afternoon, after zooming around like a cleaning whirling dervish, of cleanliness and tidiness. I just feel so much more "in control" of life and at peace.  I just wait for that feeling of calm (and sometimes euphoria) to strike. I am then "free" for the rest of the day and can act upon any whim that may come my way.

7:00 am: Rod kisses me goodbye for the day (I barely register this is happening)
8:00 am: Baby B & I get up...holy smokes! I can't remember the last time I slept this long...what a sleep in, my little rockstar!!! (maybe he is as exhausted from his playdate yesterday as I was, lol).  Morning routine is started (diaper, feed, workout, breakfast, etc)
9:35 am: Baby B goes down for a nap.
9:40 am: I sit, lamenting aobut my dirty, messy, house for five minutes (and I possibly facebooked about it, lol).  Sometimes it just feels so overwhelming to stare at the mess.  Sometimes it feels like all I do is clean up the kitchen.

I stare out the kitchen window...realize Oscar has grabbed the hamburger bag (that must have fallen out of the fridge when I got Baby B's bottle out) and taken it outside to have a morning snack...then he brings the bun inside.  All that is left is a little strip of plastic.

9:45 am: Conclude lamenting is not going to get anything done.  There is no such thing as "kitchen fairies"...the only one who can change the mess is me.  So...I prepare for a cleaning binge and attack.
10:15 am: Baby B up from nap.  He plays in living room while I continue cleaning.
10:30 am: Stop cleaning to give Baby B a bottle, and some playtime.
10:50 am: Clean, clean, clean, throw in laundry

11:15 am: Friend texts - meet @ craft show for lunch? (I had completely forgotten I wanted to do this today...thank goodness for friends)
11:18 am: Change clothes, change Baby B, get stroller, walk to craft show...eat lunch(tuna & saskatoon pie...yummm!), do a quick walk around the crafts
12:15: Walk home...stop and visit at the CE shop and check out the Superglide (a synthetic ice surface) rink - very cool!
1:30 pm: Home. Bottle time. Play & snuggle.

2:20 pm: Nap time.
2:30 pm: Kitchen declared CLEAN! Yippee :)

2:55 pm: Rod home from work. Goes outside to tidy and sweep patio and bring out furniture from shed

3:00 pm: Baby B up. Rod mows front lawn, rakes back lawn, I wipe down patio furniture...Baby B comes outside and hangs out in his exersaucer. I take Baby B for a spin in his wagon. Rod plays fetch with Oscar while baby watches.

4:30 pm: Getting chilly, so we go inside. Feed bottle, Baby B falls asleep in my arms...we relax there for 15 minutes until the dog barks and wakes him up. We play...stand, stand, walk, stand.  Please don't expect me to sit, lay down, or do anything other than stand, momma.  It is all I want to do. 
5:15 pm: Switch laundry around. Tidy Baby B's room.
5:45 pm: Called to go to the CE shop for a hot dog supper.  We saddle up (well, more like chariot up) and walk the few blocks.  Play with the kids, eat some chips, hot dogs & drink some pop. Rod plays with kids on the "ice" surface...and ends up on his back - apparently it is more like real ice than he thought, lol...wish I had remembered to bring my camera!
7:00 pm: Head home, feed Baby B, bathtime, bed by 8:30pm. Rod & I both wearing T-shirts and shorts for the walk home. The weather is absolutely spectacular!!!
8:30 pm: Watch movie with Rod - "Body of Lies"??, sit down to record activities of day, post Thursday to blog.

9:45 pm: Head downstairs to tidy the craft room/tornado aftermath zone. Before, before....and after! (not convinced the before pictures convey the true chaos that was this room, nor the after showing the neat & tidy cleanliness)

12:30: Surface from the basement...tired...Rod asleep on couch...goodnight!

A Friday Full of Fun!

Friday was a very quick whirlwind of a day and a bit out of the ordinary for Baby B & I as we had one of our little friends for the day while his momma was at work. It gave me a glimpse at what life will be like once Baby B grows up a bit and has a little brother or sister :) Busy, but SO MUCH FUN!

The day started with Baby B up at 5, 6:10, 6:30 and finally 7:30.  We got started on the standard morning routine...while feeding Baby B, our little friend's momma called to see if we could watch the Little Man for the day. I said "...of course! Can you drop him off?" as she was about to step out the door for the day and I wasn't sure I could get Baby B & I out the door in time for her to leave (we were still in pj's).  Ten minutes later, he arrived and smothered Baby B with kisses (he thinks babies are really cool). At that point, I gave up on feeding Baby B as he was much more interested in his friend...so they sat together and played while I zipped around with the vacuum cleaner for 15 minutes.

9:00 am: A snack for Little Man and an attempt to get Baby B to drink more bottle (but still too interested in friend...so give up and feed breakfast). Baby B talks to his friend the whole time he is eating (it is not polite to talk with your mouth full, baby!)

After snack time, more play was on the agenda and I had a chance to empty the dishwasher and put away the dishes.

10:00 - We all get ready to go for a walk...I load the two little boys into the chariot (how awesome), strap on Oscar's harness & leash and go pick up Little Man's dog to join in our walk. We are quite a sight, the five of us...with a dog on each side of the chariot, we take up almost the whole lane of traffic, lol. The boys "talk" to each other for quite awhile...but then I notice silence, and when I bend down to check on them, they are both sleeping - the sight is so adorable! Since they are both out for the count, I decide to stop by the store and post office to get some quick errands checked off the list (the boys wake up during these errands, but are very cooperative!) We take Little Man's dog home & head home ourselves.
11:13 am: home again, home again!
11:25 am: Little Man discovers the doggie door (I've been waiting for this to happen all morning...thought that we were in the clear, lol...should've known better) and disappears out it for the first time...he will do this four times over the next few minutes during play time - I finally become a spoil sport worrying he will bonk his head on the paving stones and put the cover on.  Little man is :( because it was a fun game.
12:00: get turkey in oven
12:30: Make lunch for the three of us...Baby B is going to have mixed veggies, Little Man & I macaroni and cheese and banana for dessert.
1:00 pm: clean up/wash hands/faces/table
2:00 pm: put both boys down for a nap - they are both rubbing their eyes
2:15 pm: SILENCE - both boys are sleeping...Oscar finally stops pacing and lays down amongst the toy explosion...his nose is a little put out at the extra body taking away attention from him

2:30 pm: sit down @ computer and quickly record activities thus far for the day
2:35 pm: chop celery, onions & mushrooms (& thumb - ouch!) for stuffing

2:45 pm: Baby B wakes up with a cry (unusual for him) and thus also wakes up the Little Man...the house feels really hot, both boys are rosy-cheeked and warm, so we strip down to the diapers while we play
4:00 pm: Little Man's momma comes to pick him up.
4:30 pm: the house feels so EMPTY!
4:45 pm: I start to tidy up, get stuffing in oven, and sit down to have a glass of water

5:15 pm: Rod home from work
6:00 pm: Adults eat supper
6:30 pm: Baby B eats supper
7:05 pm: Bath time!
8:20 pm: Baby B to bed
8:30 pm: Thinking about cleaning up the kitchen explosion...but that is as far as I get.
8:35 pm: Attempt to work at online course...eyes feel like sandpaper and I can't concentrate.
8:45 pm: Sit on couch and watch a bit of TV with Rod.
9:30 pm: Head to bed!

Thursday Thoughts...

Thursday started with a bang @ 7:10am..when he woke the whole rest of the house up (even Rod!!)...we all slept in - what a treat!

Rod heads off to work and Baby B and I get going on the daily morning routine...diaper change, nurse, feed bottle, workout, breakfast, etc.

8:45 am: come upstairs after working out to find this lovely surprise (note the sarcasm) courtesy of our own little dumpster-diver

9:00 am: while feeding Baby B breakfast, our neighbour calls to say she just saw Oscar run across the street...she thinks our back gate is open...so I head outside to investigate & corral our Houdini (thank goodness he comes running back when I call him...with an extra spring in his step...nothing like an early morning run-about to make a guy feel young again)...shut the gate and finish feeding the little man.

9:13 am: Change into workout clothes and go for a run.
10:00 am: Stop and pick up Kye at the end of our run
10:15 am: Meet up with a friend & her boys while walking...we come back to our house for a little conversation & play.

11:30 am: Head back out for a walk...take Kye home...try to get Chloe back inside but she growls at me & I have trouble getting close enough to her to even get leash off.  Scratch my head a bit wondering what I should do with her...but persevere and finally get her in the house!
12:25: back home...try to get Baby B down for a nap...he will have no part of it...try to give him a bottle...no dice - teething sucks!
12:45: try the nap again...this time he rolls right over on his side (his sleeping position), makes his tired sounds, and is asleep within 5 minutes
12:50: I check the internet for a few minutes, then get to the business of laundry, take turkey out of freezer (& realize I don't have enough time to cook today)

1:45 pm: Baby B awake, bottle, play in living room (all he wants to do is stand, stand, stand).

3:00 pm: fussy baby...back down for another nap - this time I lay down, too (first time I've EVER done this successfully). When we wake up, bottle time.

4:45 pm: Grandma Jane skypes Baby B

6:00 pm: Send Rod a message about when home, defrost hamburger & make patties.
6:15 pm: Rod home, throws in a load of laundry & plays with Baby B while I make supper for the little guy.
6:30 pm: the nightly routine begins...supper, bath, nurse, bottle, bed by 8:30pm
8:35 pm: I sit down at computer to work on online course...but update the blog instead.
9:15 pm: tidy up kitchen
10:00 pm: get out my Project Life binder & write some journalling cards (I am WAY behind on writing these out - so glad I've been keeping a "diary" on my computer)
10:15 pm: Rod heads to bed.
11: 35 pm: Can't keep my eyes open...bedtime!

So...the thoughts for this Thursday...
  - Baby B seems to be getting the hang of this "sleeping in" business (in our household, anything past 7:00 am is considered a sleep in)
  - I don't think I'm doing a spectacular job with recording the day in pictures...I miss out on many key shots...mostly because I forget to haul the camera with me when I'm out and about...but still think what I'm getting is better than nothing and think it will be great fun to look back at this and reflect on life!
  - I am really quite grateful for my life - it seems so mundane until I write down our activities - I've realized I most often accomplish far more in a day than I give myself credit for (and I clean/tidy and play with Baby B ALOT, lol)...I think we are so lucky in Canada to get an entire year of maternity leave...I can't imagine what I would have missed out on if I had gone back when Baby B was only 6 weeks.
  - no matter what stage Baby B seems to be at...I always love it "best"! My favourite part of his current stage is the definite routine/schedule that he has and how expressive he is becoming! I feel really lucky that he is, overall, a very content baby.
  - Oscar is becoming more and more challenging with age...all these bad habits he has picked up :<
  - I give SO MUCH credit to all the single parents out there!!

Three more days remain in this "week in the life"! I've got to remember to haul my camera!!!

"Hump Day" for the Days

Whew! Wednesday is here and gone...

On a normal day around here, I am able to accomplish about ONE productive task.  Today I really, really, really wanted to get rid of some of the cleaning monsters that have been haunting my dreams...so I was on a MISSION.  Thankfully, for the most part, Baby B was cooperative and allowed me to scrub like a person possessed. Here is a glimpse of the day!

Up @ 4:30, 6:30, and finally 7:20 am: I just love that every morning, no matter what, my little boy greets me with a smile..."Good morning, momma"!

Our morning routine was pretty standard...get up, change diaper, make bottle, nurse & feed bottle, get workout clothes on, go to basement and ride exercise bike, come upstairs, get breakfast ready & feed Baby B, morning nap for Baby B (momma tidies/cleans and works on computer) all by 9:00am...

...but by far the favourite activity amongst this early morning hustle & bustle is the cuddle and play time with Baby B.

10:00 am: Baby B awake - we work @ tidying his room (well I tidy, he plays).  Throw in some laundry downstairs (first of four loads today).

11:00 am: Same theme, different location...work at tidying the kitchen while Baby B plays in exersaucer (call them 'circles of neglect' all you want purist mommas, I call them 'circles of sanity', lol).  Vaccuum entire upstairs

& get started hand-washing all 1200 sq. feet of hardwood. Pit stop for a play with the little man.

12:00 - Baby B goes down for a nap - perfect opportunity to finish washing floors. Boy, oh boy, the feeling of accomplishment! I love having a clean house...the rush I get is so similar to the "runner's high".

12:30 - Baby B up.  Attempt to feed lunch of veggies & beef but Baby B is not convinced. I grab a quick bite of fruit and yogurt for my lunch.

1:00 - Time for a shower (amazing how I can sometimes go all day hanging out in my stinky workout clothes - yuck!).

1:30 pm: Out for a walk. Pick up Oscar's best friend...he will be joining us in our daily walks for the next few weeks while his "Grandpa" is away.

3:00 pm: Stop @ school - Baby B is still happy, so stay and help out a bit with track practice.

4:30 pm: Back home - was so great to have spent the whole afternoon outside. LOVING the weather!!

5:00 pm: Make supper - on the menu tonight: Prosciutto, Asparagus & Pea Pasta. Play with Baby B.

5:45 pm: Rod home from work - eats supper while I play with the baby.  Washes up...he plays with the baby while I eat. Love our little "tag-team" ritual!

6:30 pm: Supper for Baby B - oatmeal & leftover beef and veggies from lunch) while we skype with Grandma Jane.

7:05 pm: Bath time!

7:30 pm: Same old, same old...pj's, feeding time and to bed! 

8:40 pm: Sit down @ computer - post day 1 to blog, record the days events in ediary...work grudgingly on online course.

10:15 pm: Kiss Rod goodnight, head to bed.  Get out book, read for 30 minutes.

10:45 pm: Lights out.

Love that I knocked three BIG items off the to-do list today...AND spent a solid three hours outside. Feel so content. Documenting the "ordinary" this week is making me realize I do "accomplish" much more than I think on a daily basis.