Day in the life: Spring 2021

I completely forgot to do a DITL winter post. Whoops. So anyway, here we are in spring, though at the time of publishing this, it is already humid.

You can read more Day in the Life posts by clicking here.

Day in the Life: Spring 2021

Friday, April 30th

Chris is 38, Risa is 35, Olivia is 5.5 years, Emelia is 19 months, and Toby is 13 years old.

6:30am: The baby has slept all night!!! Chris brings her to me and I nurse her in bed.

6:43am: I gently put her back to bed, but realize I’m not tired, despite going to bed around midnight. I decide to just get up, but as I’m walking down the hall, Olivia comes out, wanting to wake up. Her OK-To-Wake clock doesn’t turn on until 7:00 so I tell her she needs to go back in her room until then and she doesn’t fight me, just goes to the bathroom and back into her room to play. I head to the kitchen and make some coffee. Chris is already downstairs in his office working. I pour a cup of coffee with some heavy whipping cream and wave to Olivia from down the hall as I pass. She waves back from her desk. I go downstairs and visit with Chris for a bit while I sip my coffee. Then I head to my office and turn on the monitor. I check my email. A new client wants to bring me on as a contract editor and is asking for my rates.

7:02am: Olivia comes down the moment her light comes on and goes to watch TV. I finish my first cup of coffee and go back upstairs to pour more. The baby seems to still be sleeping. I head back with a full second cup and sit with Chris again, telling him about this new editing job.

7:27am: The baby is awake. I shut my computer off and go get her. She is happy to be alive this morning and stands on her head for me. I change her diaper and get her dressed. She wants to nurse again of course.

I make us breakfast. Olivia has fried eggs with Chris and wants to eat downstairs like usual.

I make yogurt with frozen blueberries and granola for the baby and me. Emelia gets her two mini muffins. I tell Olivia to come upstairs and get ready. She needs to get dressed, brush her teeth and hair, and get her ice pack into her lunch for preschool.

8:37am: I head down to the foyer with the kids to get shoes on and Oliva’s backpack ready.

We head out to preschool and I drop her off, wishing her a good day. She doesn’t look back. She loves going to preschool. Luckily, the baby has gotten so much better with Olivia leaving the car for preschool and isn’t wailing. She happily babbles from the backseat as we drive home. I’m meeting a good friend for brunch before we need to pick the kids up again from preschool. When the baby and I get home I take a quick shower and then we watch a little Boy Meets World while Emelia nurses again. I sit on my phone for a bit while Chris finishes his meeting.

10:07am: I leave the baby racing around the family room with Chris checking in on her while he works and shut the door to my office. I don’t have a lot of time before I need to leave for the restaurant, so I decide to just work on emails and look over my assignments for May.

10:45am: I’m running late. I quickly straighten my hair and Emelia falls on her face to try to get to me in the bathroom. She seems to be OK. She’s not crying at least. I grab my purse and head out the door to meet my friend after saying goodbye to Chris.

There aren’t many people at this restaurant which we like. We catch up over drinks and egg and sausage bowls. I’m obsessed with the aioli and have some left to bring home with me.

12:59pm: I pull into the line of cars behind my friend. Just in time. Olivia comes out after a few minutes with new art projects. We see a garage sale on the way home and she begs to stop. The girl loves garage sales as much as her mom. We both find some crafty things to buy and they total less than three dollars.

1:48pm: We get home and Olivia goes downstairs to wash her hands and play. I put the baby down for her nap. She falls asleep nursing which is something she rarely does so of course I have to sit back on the couch and hold her for a little longer.

Then I head downstairs. I have some articles to get through so I divide my time up by working for a half-hour at a time and then coming out to play with Olivia for a few minutes before going back to my office.

4:00pm: I still need to work, but Olivia wants to play The Allowance Game with me. We play two rounds and then I tell her I need to work for another 20 minutes.

4:30pm: The baby is awake. Olivia and I are sorting my antique buttons and the baby comes to join us which is a complete fucking disaster.

5:15pm: Chris is making pizzas and cooking them with the gas-fired pizza oven out under the deck. It’s family night here and that means we eat downstairs while watching a movie.

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7:00pm: It’s time for Emelia to go down to sleep. I take her upstairs while Chris and Olivia watch the movie downstairs. I get the baby changed and into her pajamas. She loves brushing her teeth and sipping from the Dixie cups.

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We go into her room read her a book. Chris comes to say goodnight to her and then and I close the curtains, turn on the little lamp next to her rocker and turn on her white noise. I nurse her while reading on my phone.

7:15pm: I’m laying the baby in her crib with her little Dumbo lovie and kiss her good night. I shut the door and hear her babbling to herself. I’m glad she’s not crying. Olivia and Chris are up in the kitchen making popcorn. We get out popcorn buckets and go back downstairs to watch a few of the shorts on Disney Plus.

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Then it’s time to get Olivia to bed. She gets into her pajamas and brushes her teeth. She always wants us to do her toothpaste. Then she heats up her unicorn heat pack for bed. We all get in her bed and say prayers and do hugs and kisses. We turn on her white noise, and God, like four nightlights, and say goodnight.

“Will you come check on me?” Her question she has been asking for the last four months straight. Yes, we say, we always do.

8:35pm: Chris and I go back downstairs, leaving the dishes until tomorrow. We chat about our day and I pick up my crochet. I’m working on a blanket for my sister. Chris is flipping through channels deciding what to watch.

9:30pm: We finally decide on the documentary Life in Color.

10:30pm: Chris says he’s going to go to bed, but I’m not quite tired yet. He kisses me good night and I keep crocheting. I turn to Wentworth.

11:45pm: I’m starting to yawn, so I call it a night and shut the TV off, and put my project bag away so the kids don’t get into it tomorrow morning. I head upstairs and shut all the lights off. I brush my teeth and get into bed. I check on both kids on the baby monitors and lay down to read for a bit.

12:01am: I shut the lights off.