Saturday, November 1, 2014

Day in the Life Fall 2014

I am still in shock that it's already time for another day-in-the-life post.  Seems like yesterday I did the summer edition.  Again, I had a tough time choosing a specific day to document.  I read the blog round-up post from Navigating the Mothership several weeks ago, and again, I've been procrastinating this project.  Another work-from-home day?  A work day?  Weekend day?  I ended up spontaneously declaring this day as The One, similar to how I spontaneously declared the summer day.

Date:       October 31, 2014 ... Halloween!!!
Cast of Characters:
                 Laura (35 years old)
                 Brian (34 years and 50 weeks old)
                 Jonathan (2 years, 5 months)
                 Teddy (8 years, 1 month)
                 Honey (7 years, 8 months)

2:47  I am jolted from a deep sleep from a high pitched shriek.  J has been doing this for about 6 weeks now, and it's beyond disruptive.  Sounds like he's being stabbed in his sleep.  Brian gets up and helps him get back to sleep.  Although I didn't get up this time, I have a hard time falling back to sleep.  I toss and turn, daydream, and feel frustrated that I can't get back to sleep.  Eventually my thoughts turn to day-in-the-life.  I hem and haw about it for a while, but I decide to go for it.  Today's the day, people!

6:33  I must have eventually fallen back to sleep because I'm again jolted awake with demanding shrieks for "Daddy Daddy Daddeeeeeeee!!"  I roll over to find Brian already playing with his phone.  He gets up to rescue JDub from that evil crib.  I snooze.

6:43  I start feeling a bit guilty that Brian got up in the middle of the night as well as the morning call with Jonathan.  So I drag myself out of bed and head downstairs.  B and J are watching Tiger downstairs with a baba and an espresso.  They're singing along together the "won't you be my neighbor" song which is completely presh.  I start some coffee and then join them on the couch.  Not long after I sit down, I start smelling something gross.  I mention it and offer suggestions about what it might be.  But I soon remember that yesterday, I caught Jonathan pouring his baba down the ever-growing tear in the couch.  Sick!!  As if these couches weren't bad enough?!  Now we have a milk hole?  That turned rancid?  We die laughing over this and gawk about how embarrassing this furniture is.



7:15  Brian heads out to his office and "asks" me to do a homework project sometime today -- program the new clock for J.  Oh boy.  I'm brain-dead about anything mechanical.  But I figure I'll try to do it at some point.  I get a coffee refill and resume my position as a certified couch potato.  J is happily working on shovel trucks at the coffee table.  I selfishly and sneakily get him fixed up with Cheerios and offer him the Kindle so I can switch off Daniel Tiger.  God love him, but girl needs a break!  Plus, I'm half-way through the Duggar wedding episode, and I'm really wanting to see the rest of it.  J happily obliges, which is a surprisingly awesome success.



7:25  Jill is about to walk down the isle with her dad.  All the wedding party has gone ahead, and now it's just the two of them at the back of the church.  It brings me back to my wedding.  Same exact moment -- at the back of the church with my dad.  I feel quite emotional about this, but I hold back tears because I also feel silly crying over a TLC show.  But this only lasts for so long, and before I know it, I have tears streaming.  I'm remembering a lot about my dad and what a complicated relationship we had.  I'm also thinking one week ahead to my sister's wedding and have a mix of feelings about her not having that moment with him.  But all this reminiscing is stopped when I notice Teddy is eating J's Cheerios.  I yell at him, which seems to give J a brilliant idea.  He dumps out the cereal and starts eating it like a dog.  I laugh.


7:50  Jonathan suddenly announces, "I hear Daddy opening packages!  Be right back Mama."  I'm finished with the Duggars for now, so I follow him out there.  He walks like he's on a mission, swinging his arms high and deliberate, and he finds Brian packing up a shipping box.  They greet each other so cutely: "Hi bud."  "Hi bud."  J then finds his tricycle and starts vrooming.



8:00  I pour myself some pumpkin Cheerios and eat them walking around.  I then head upstairs to get dressed and take care of the upstairs chores -- make the bed, open windows, and bring down laundry.


8:15  I check on J outside, and apparently Brian had recently emptied his shredder into the firepit.  I find J digging through the shreds and singing something unrecognizable.  I love his voice, but I think he feels embarrassed that I saw/heard him.  Sweet boy.  I head back inside to do a quick straightening of the downstairs and also get the stroller packed up.  Once in the stroller, I hope to get a cute picture of the two of us.  This is such a daily ritual, and yet I have hardly any pictures of us doing this.  I would like for Brian to take the picture, but he's in the shower.  So I take about 8 selfies in the hopes of getting a cute smiling one.  But J insists that sticking out his tongue is the perfect pose.



8:30  We hit the pavement.  It's very overcast today, which is lovely.  It's a particularly chatty walk today, as JW talked.the.whole.time.  It's sometimes a challenge to respond to everything, but I love his comments and questions.  "See dat Mama?  See dat pumpkin?  See dat skelton?  Go dat way Mama.  Good job Mama!  Member dat school bus?  Member dat won-mower?"  I love that he's getting into the phase of actually having conversations, and it melts my heart.  I also adore that he's so enthusiastic about all the Halloween decorations.  Boy after my own heart!  I feel like a kid again, walking through the decorated neighborhood, anticipating costumes and trick-or-treating.


9:30  Arrive back home, and I decide we absolutely must carve our pumpkin.  Brian brought it home weeks ago, and the most we've done with it is let J draw all over it with a pen.  Classy.  But since today is Halloween, I figure we've gotta do it.  So I start getting a work station prepped.  While I'm cutting some paper bags, J brings me the evil Trader Joes salted chocolate almonds and repeatedly whines "I neeeed these Mama!"  I believe he inherited the chocolate gene from his daddy.  I decide to go against my better judgment and give him some.  Yolo, right?


9:35  We head to the patio with the supplies and pumpkin.  I get the top off and try to coax J into sticking his hand inside.  I'm dying laughing over this because I hate pumpkin guts.  He refuses, saying, "Ew! Gusting! I don't wike pumpkin guts!"  I feel ya, brotha, I feel ya.  But I do the deed and get the pumpkin gutted and carved.  I head inside to wash my hands and see J scooping all the guts back into the pumpkin.  Brian joins the party and suggests that the pumpkin needs sun glasses.  We all agree and jam some glasses on the jack.  I then desperately try to get a good picture of J with the pumpkin to no avail.  I'm mildly annoyed by this, but whatever.



10:15  Brian wants to show me the prototype he's been working on, so we all head out to his office.  He gives me a demonstration and then razzes me about giving him a "Makalya face" in response.  I try to assure him that I like it, but I'm not too successful at convincing him.

10:30  It's freakishly early for lunch, but girl is starving.  I start preparing my favorite salad -- spicy peanut (actually almond today) slaw.  Brian comes inside, and we all head into the living room.  I don't bother fixing a plate for Jonathan because he's been hunger striking so badly lately that I figure it would just be a waste of food.  Of course, he promptly starts stealing carrots off Brian's plate.  Within minutes, he hijacks Brian's fork and starts shoveling it in.  Maybe this is the key to him eating?  Stop offering him food?




10:45  B and I start talking about how amazing our Tobin James shipment is, which obviously results in us craving the zin we cracked open last night.  We laugh about how much of lushes we will sound like in this blog post -- craving wine at 10:45am?  Problem?  Nah.  We do decide to go with self-discipline and leave the wine for later.

11:00  J somehow got a hold of my phone and is scrolling through the pictures I've taken so far today.  I decide this is a good moment to clean up the kitchen.  While loading the dishwasher, I hear him start his favorite game.  How does he know how to navigate that phone?  I don't even know how to work the damn thing.  I continue straightening and switch over the laundry.  J runs over to help me.  "I help you Mama!" "Good job Mama!"  I die.

11:30  We head upstairs.  I get J set up with his trolleys and figurines so I can hopefully get showered and paint the barn.  Great success.  I'm also excited to use a new shade of eye shadow I picked up yesterday.  Very autumn.  Might take a little getting used to, but I like.  J is in and out of the bathroom while I get ready, and he loves digging through my make-up.  He somehow digs his grimy fingers into my stash of coconut oil (my new moisturizer), and smears it all over his hair.  I suppose he'll have good shine?


12:15  Time for happy nappy.  J is not too happy about this today and demands "I want Daddy read books!  I want Daddeeeeee!!!"  He's crying now, so I ask if he wants to skip books and go into his crib.  "Ok Mama."  Didn't see that coming, but fine by me.  Get him all snuggled with 40,000 blankets and bears.  Sweetheart.

12:30  I do another blitz of straightening.  Where do all these toys come from?  I swear they multiply when I have my back turned.  I remember I've been meaning to send pics of my potential dresses for Carolyn's wedding to Anne.  I do that, and her responses confirm that I should go with the more fall-ish one.


12:35  I sit down to do my work emails for the day.  I could have sworn today was Halloween, but is it actually April Fools?  Christmas?  There's nothing but junk mail.  Not one message that needs a response from me.  Not one demand for a last-minute meeting.  Not one entitled student demanding I give them points back on an exam.  Not one complaint.  Nothing.  I'm cautiously delighted but slightly disappointed that I can't make any snarky remarks about what work "crises" I have to handle. I decide to start working on this blog post.  I review the previous day-in-the-life post from the summer and reminisce about that day.  As I write this post, I receive a text from a friend who I had told we would come to their house tonight for a Halloween party.  Crap!  I write her back quickly and apologize for forgetting to cancel -- we'll be staying in the neighborhood for trick-or-treating tonight.  She is totally understanding.

2:00  I'm all caught up on the blog post, and J is still snoozing.  I should probably start working on lecture prep for next week.  But that ridiculously ambitious thought is quickly squashed by justifying that I don't need to really work today -- it's a holiday.  I head downstairs to snoop through the refrigerator.  I find some hummus and text B that I'm snacking if he wants some too.  He strolls in, we chat about the day, and he leaves for the post office.  I decide to read "the news" (Facebook) and stumble into a yahoo article posted by a facebook friend.  It's well-written and validates my experience of baby woes.  Preach it sista!




2:40  It's a long nap day, which is always awesome!  J wakes up happy but hot and sweaty.  I love how his hair gets curly when he's sweaty.  We spend some time on the floor playing trolleys and trucks.  I play the piano for a few songs while J claps.  We then settle on the couch for a baba with books.  He's still in that extra chatty mood like he was during the walk, and he repeats every answer I give him.  So cute.  "What's dis Mama?  Rhiiiino.  What's dis Mama?  Xylaphoooone.  What's dis Mama?  It's a teeny tiny mouse with a balooooon!"  Brian comes in during this and joins in the fun.  Then we realize we don't have any candy for tonight, so he makes a run to the store.  I'm secretly jealous because I want the chance to get out of the house.  But considering I had that awesomely long naptime, I don't say anything.




3:20  Brian gets home and declares it's wine o'clock.  We hem and haw a bit about how it's so early, but decide whatever.  It's a holiday.  We sip on the leftover Tobin James from last night.  Amazing.  We take our glasses out to B's office.  J finds his tricycle and then notices a baby apple on the tree.  He works on that for a moment but then realizes Teddy stole his truck, which causes some minor hysteria.  He chucks his apple in the dirt.  I yell at Teddy.  Brian throws the apple at Teddy.  Teddy finally drops it with only minor teeth marks in one wheel.  We get it back to JDub, and he's like 'whatev.'



3:40  Brian decides to light the firepit.  We get crazy amounts of smoke from all the paper shreds.  While we're dodging smoke, we start talking about our favorite Indian place.  The wine has probably helped us feel less like oldest children for a few moments, so he decides to call them and beg them to deliver.  I'm laughing and egging him on.  We can't believe it, but they say yes!  Hollah!  We celebrate with hugs, snuggles, and wrestles on the couch.




4:15  The gardeners arrive.  We chat with them for a minute and then sit on the front step to watch the action.  I always feel amazed by how awesome they make the yard look while I simultaneously feel like a white privileged princess/slave-driver.  I repress these feelings by tickling and kissing a certain mini-human.


4:35  Indian food arrives!  Yes!  It's always so good, but they must have added a few extra sprinkles of cayenne today.  Holy mother of God.  My sinuses are officially cleared.


5:10  Brian and Jonathan work on some books.  I steal a tootsie roll from our candy stash and head upstairs to get our Halloween clothes ready.  The guys eventually follow me up there, and B paints a mustache on J with my eyeliner, which is surprisingly well-received by a tiny cowboy.  We all get transformed into cowboys and a cowgirl.




5:30  We head outside and snap some pictures.  Through all of it, J is asking for "more special treat please" and doesn't really get the how the upcoming trick-or-treating gig works.  Funny boy.  We head out to our cul de sac neighbors and make a special stop to play with Maddie.  They are so adorable together.  We try to make our way up to the Crain's but they end up coming down to our street.  We have an absolute blast in this big group going from house to house.  J starts understanding the process more and after every house exclaims "Here's a candy, Mama!  Here's a candy, Daddy!  Here's a candy Quakin!"  He tries giving his candy away to several people, especially Anne and Kaitlyn.  And he loves holding Kenzie's hand.  She takes good care of him and makes sure he gets candy at every door.  We see quite a lot of amazingly decorated houses, including one with a garage converted to a haunted house.  We chat with our neighbors as we walk, and there's lots of laughing.  Jonathan works on lollipops the through all of it, and gets good and sticky.  Toward the end, he declared to the homeowner giving out candy that "I have enough."  Everyone dies laughing.  The whole thing is just so much fun.  So relaxing and delightful.  One of the biggest joys of my life is seeing Jonathan have fun, and tonight is especially fun because it brings me back to my own childhood of fun times trick-or-treating.





 

7:40  We arrive back home.  J is working on his probably 8th lollipop, and his eyeliner mustache is pretty sticky and smudged.  So cute.  We dump out all the loot.  Brian snags his favorite Reeces, and I go for a KitKat.  We have a few groups of teenage trick-or-treaters, and JDub loves passing out the candy.


8:10  We finally start wrapping things up and go for a royal teeth-brushing session.  We head upstairs for jammies and books.  He wants Daddy, so I tuck him in and then send in B for one last hug.

8:35  B and I head upstairs.  I have an apple cinnamon hot tea.  B is feeling very tired and decides he should go to bed early.  I want to go to bed too, but I know I'll feel better to finish this blog post first.  So I kiss him good night at about 8:40 (partaaay!), and I settle on the couch with my computer, tea, and Biggest Loser in the background.

9:30  I'm finished drafting this post and just need to edit and add pictures.  Against my better judgment, I start a new episode.  Drama!  All the contestants are threatening to quit.  Bob and Dolvett are enraged.  I might as well work on the pictures for this post so I can see how all this craziness unfolds.


9:40  Ok.  I come to my senses and decide to pause this drama for tomorrow.  I'll add the pictures tomorrow during naptime.  I take a quick scroll through this post, and I'm so thankful I did this again.  I'm amazed at how much detail has been packed into one normal-ish day (minus all the Halloween fun).  I also remember that I forgot to fold the laundry, and it's probably all wrinkled in the dryer now.  Oh well.  And that kids' clock that requires an engineering degree to program is still sitting on the kitchen table.  Meh?  Tomorrow.  But I reminisce at what a delightful mood Jonathan was in all day.  It was truly a fun one.  I potty the beasts and lock up.  I then head to bed, ready to snuggle my handsome love, feeling grateful for what a great life we have.  I know I'm living a dream come true. We've had seasons of life that haven't been this fun, and I'm sure we'll have seasons down the road that aren't this fun.  So I'm glad we can soak up the good pleasures while we have them.  Life is good.









Friday, August 8, 2014

Day in the Life Summer 2014

For several years I've been a creepy blog reader.  I've been following several blogs as if I know these people, but I never leave comments.  I only watch from afar.  <shudder>  Anyway, one of my favorite bloggers does a quarterly blog round-up called Day in the Life.  I've wanted to join in the fun for a long time, but I've been procrastinating and putting it off like exercise.  But I've finally decided to bite the bullet and go for it.  I really want some way of documenting the everyday, mundane details of life that make life so great.  And especially with Jonathan growing up so fast, I fear that these days with him so young will slip through my fingers, only to be forgotten with time.  So I've decided to start this blog with the intention of participating in the quarterly day in the life (DITL) round-ups. I hope that 4 blog posts per year will help preserve some of these delightful yet oh-so forgettable memories.  So in the words of the opening credits of my college soap opera, "like sand through the hour glass, these are the days of our lives."

Date:                       Thursday, August 7, 2014
Cast of Characters: Brian (34)
                                Laura (35)
                                Jonathan (2 years, 2 months)
                                Teddy (7 years, 11 months)
                                Honey (7 years 6 months)
                                Daniel Tiger (a timeless character)

One of the many reasons I procrastinated this for so long was that I couldn't choose a "typical" day to document.  What's typical?  No such thing.  But I finally had to just choose a day and go with it.  Today was a work-from-home day.  No play dates, no surprise visits or extra things scheduled.  Pretty chill, just the lil ole fam at home.  So I suppose it turned out to be a 'typical' day after all.

6:45 Jonathan is crying for "Daddy Daddy Daddy!!!"  Brian goes to get him.  Changes diaper.  Just as I'm drifting back into blissful snooze sleep, I hear pitter patter stomp stomp down the hall and then "Mama!  Wook!"  He brings a doggie toy to the bedside and plays with it.  I ooo and ahhh with my eyes closed.  Brian shuffles him into the loft and starts Daniel Tiger.

7:00  I climb out of bed.  Join Brian and JDub in the loft to say good morning.  Head downstairs for coffee and a bottle.

7:15  Everyone is downstairs.  JDub and I potty the dogs, which he absolutely adores lately.  Brian fixes himself some oatmeal.  JDub plays with his trucks and torments Teddy, which is perfectly fine with me.  I sit down on the couch and read through some DITL posts.  I read one from a mom of three, who seems to function as a single parent (husband leaves before kids are awake, returns home after they are in bed for the night).  I simultaneously feel exhausted and inspired.  I then read one from a single woman who is working as a scientist doing some type of experiments with sheep out in the country.  I reminisce about my college days in Wisconsin and remember good ole Ag Hall.  During all this, JDub has gotten ahold of my recipe box and has pulled out all the recipe cards.  I decide to choose my battles and let him go crazy with this since I want to continue reading blogs, and I only use recipes from Food Network anyway.

8:00  Brian is finished showering and getting ready for the day.  He sits by me on the couch and shows me a document prepared by his opposing counsel, which is pathetic.  We laugh and mock.  It's not the nice thing to do, but seriously, this thing should have been written in crayon.  It's ridiculous.  I then fix myself some cereal (Cheerios mixed with coconut granola, topped with blueberries).  I share several bites with JDub, which would have made me gag before having a child.  Now, I think nothing of it, which makes me chuckle.


8:20  I head upstairs to get dressed, and on my way up, I make a final decision about this DITL thing. It's official.  I'm going to do it today.  I've already missed documenting the first couple hours of the day, but I can't continue to procrastinate this thing any longer.  Today is the day.  I get upstairs, fix my contacts, get shoes and clothes, make the bed, and fix the windows.  I decide to throw in a load of laundry too, so I bring the basket downstairs.

8:30  Start the laundry, and then JDub and I head into the front yard to water the new plants.  I'm so happy they're still alive (1 week in the ground), and I'm determined to keep them going.  J digs in the dirt and plays with the faucet while I water.


8:40  J demands that I let the dogs out into the front yard.  Goes into full-blown melt-down when I explain that's not a good thing to do.  He starts a new lip-quivvering move with this fit that I haven't noticed before.  It's so freaking cute that I don't even mind the screaming.  We head inside, where Brian offers to put on some Tiger.  J is happy about that, but I regretfully inform them that I was planning to leave for a strollie ride soon.  This escalates the meltdown, understandably.  I feel bad overriding Daddy, but Mama gots to get her walk in before the sun scorches us later in the day.



8:50  We get the stroller all packed up and head out.  It's a beautiful day, especially after some excruciatingly hot days last week.  I huff and puff up the hill while J works on some Cheerios and a baba.  We make it to the top of the hill, and we sing some songs, chat about toddler babble, and work on some shovel trucks.  As we're heading down the hill, the nightmare situation that I've feared for many years finally happens.  A barking dog scrambles its way under a fence and comes after us.  Thankfully it's a little rat dog.  I instinctively do a backward karate kick and yell "No! Get outta here!" which JDub finds absolutely hilarious.  I do too, so we both start cracking up.  Thankfully the dog was a little stunned by my rageful martial arts, and all he did was cock his head to the side and stop barking for a whole 3 seconds.  He eventually started snooping around in the grass and went the other way.  Jonathan then proceeds to copycat me throughout the neighborhood, yelling "No doggie!  Stop doggie!  No thank you doggie!"  Funny boy.  Toward the end of our walk, we see Kaitlyn getting into her car.  We chat for a few minutes about where she's going to get gas.




10:20  We arrive back home, hot and sweaty.  I switch over the laundry and get distracted with I don't remember what.  But I look up to see JDub gleefully throwing about 8 dog bones at Teddy and Honey, who happily accept and gobble up the treats.  I redirect J to the living room but laugh to myself and and secretly feel glad that someone still loves these mutts.  We sit down for some "build-Os" (building blocks, which he somehow named build-Os.  Brian and I crack up at every time he says it).



10:40  Outside at the patio table for a snack.  Grapes for JDub.  Grapes for me, as well as some evil Costco crackers and artichoke dip.  At one point, J suddenly gets an idea and runs around to the door.  A minute later, the dogs are out with us, tearing up the place.  Again, I secretly feel glad that he cares for the dogs because I don't have much patience for them anymore.  I also feel sad that he doesn't have a sibling to play with.  I hope he does someday.


11:10  Back inside.  I offer J all kinds of different foods for lunch, all of which he says, "Noooo!" and points his finger at me.  Like he's offended by my offer or something.  I guess it's a hunger strike kind of day.  Cannot relate.  Nope.  Can't relate.  We sit on the couch for some books.



11:30  I get the itch to cut his hair, which is desperately needed.  We start some Daniel Tiger for a distraction, and I get my Edward Scissorhands on.  So fun.  He's a little squirmy, but I'm pretty impressed with how cooperative he is for a 2 year-old.


11:50  All done with the haircut.  I do a quick clean-up downstairs, including the standard daily vacuum of the downstairs.   Get his bottle ready, and we head upstairs for nap time.  More books.


12:15  J is down for happy nappy.  I bring up the laundry and try to fold it as fast as possible.  I take a momentary break from said folding for a cheesy selfie.  Get it done and then hop in the shower.  Then put some paint on the barn and get dressed.  I hear Brian downstairs, and I try to hurry up so we can chat over lunch.  I dry my hair and head downstairs.



1:05  I head downstairs, but I'm sad to see I missed Brian.  We're really late for lunch today, so I figure he was starving and needed to eat & run.  I run my laptop upstairs to charge, pop a veggie burger in the toaster oven, and sit down on the couch for lunch.  I scroll through Facebook for "the news" and learn absolutely nothing.  I then read through another DITL and feel astonished at how other people do so much in one day.



1:35  I don't feel like it, but I decide to be self-disciplined and take care of as much work email as possible while J is sleeping.  I actually get it all done before the 2:00 transition.


2:00  Kaitlyn arrives.  I quickly explain that I need to run out to Brian's office for a teleconference meeting.  Grab all my stuff.  Find Brian in the office, wrapping up a phone call.  I impatiently ask him to leave so I can do this meeting.  I feel bad, so I apologize later in front of Kaitlyn.  A little weird, but I don't want to forget.  Anyway, I attend the meeting (A&R committee meeting, which is a complete and utter waste of time).

2:30  Meeting is over, thank God.  I head inside to find J snuggling with B, and Kaitlyn is chatting.  JDub hears me and comes running over: "Maaaammmmaaa!!!"  Melts my heart.  Brian and I switch snugglebunny roles, and I chat with Kaitlyn while J seems to be still waking up.  I love those moments when he's all warm and snuggly.

3:00 We finally all part ways.  Kaitlyn gets J fixed up in the stroller.  I head upstairs to finish some computer work.  Brian was in and out of the picture -- post office and milk run.  Once upstairs, I make my to-do list for the day.  I laugh that I'm about 9 hours late with this, but I love that I can immediately cross off multiple tasks.  I then put in a call to a supervisor, and I'm delighted to get her voicemail -- less time on the phone = more time to work.  I start organizing an upcoming Fall course.



3:13  Phone rings.  Supervisor calling me back.  Damn.  We talk about a problem student who is struggling with "self awareness, time management, follow-through, and defensiveness."  Yay.  I can't wait to deal with this.

4:00  Off the phone.  Finally.  I notify my chair about the situation.  Then quickly finish organizing the Fall course.  I get it done with time to spare, so I start a second class.  On a roll!

4:30  I head downstairs to start thawing salmon for dinner and discover the freezer door has been open for who knows how long.  Oh good.  I reorganize the freezer so everything fits and start thawing the salmon.  Head back upstairs to continue working.

4:55  Kaitlyn will be back with JDub any minute, so I check my calendar for her schedule next week. Wrap up my work stuff and head downstairs.  Chat with Kaitlyn, and JDub is a total gentleman showing her to the door.  "Tank you Quakin!  See you waiter!"  She leaves, and J immediately wants to show me his garbage trucks.  He's so cute, getting right up in my face about the truck -- "see dat, Mama?  Hear dat?"  Ahh, I love this kid.  I need to start dinner, but he's just so cute.  Brian comes in and joins the party.


5:15  I start fixing the vegetables.  Brian cracks open a white.  We chat about the day.  J happily vrooms his trucks in the living room.  Brian grills the salmon outside to prevent stinking up the joint.


5:40  When the food's ready, we are just about to head to the patio, but J is on the verge of a meltdown.  He demands "more Tiger more Tiger."  Although I cringe at eating dinner in front of the TV, we decide it's not worth fighting him on this tonight.  So we crowd into the living room to eat.  The dinner is really good.  And the dogs beg through the whole thing.  Ugh. Where's the pound? (I would never actually do that because they're absolutely part of the family, but I just have no patience for these guys anymore.)  I quietly scold Teddy repeatedly, hoping J doesn't hear me.  After we eat, J climbs on us to wrestle and snuggle.  As I'm trying to say something to Brian, JDub shushes me and puts his pointer finger on my lips.  I die laughing, and then he keeps doing it.  Brian and I finish the Cinnamon Buns Ben & Jerry pint, which is awesome.




6:45  Bathtime is overdue.  There's a mini-meltdown about this, but he quickly agrees to get in with some trucks.  I straighten up the downstairs again while Brian does dishes.  As J is getting pruney, Brian gets an email from an a-hole attorney.  We discuss how to handle it while we finish the end of our wine.



7:15  Out of the sink for jammies.  He chooses Mama for bedtime tonight, so we head upstairs for more books and a baba.  He goes to bed happily, as usual, and the day is almost over.




7:40  I go downstairs for the final clean-ups -- washing the bottle, covering the grill, letting the dogs out.  Brian is upstairs playing his video game.  I bring my computer over near him and start the beginning of this blog.  Brian then buys a video rental for 99 cents.  It's a ridiculous high school prom movie, which is not even worth 99 cents.  I draft this post while he plays his game.  We chat off and on.


9:30  I'm about finished with this post and so happy I did it!  I tell myself I must keep up this quarterly tradition.  I make Brian read the post, and we marvel at how many details can be crammed into one day -- one relatively slow-paced day without anything crazy.  With the exception of the near-attack from the escaped rat dog, the day was a fairly typical stay-at-home day, but it's amazing how many details there are.  He also says he wants to do it himself, which I think is awesome.

9:45  We head to bed.  I go to sleep with the love of my life on my arm and our little miracle snoozing away down the hall and two stinky beasts snoring downstairs.  It doesn't get much better than this.