a day in the life (part 1)

When I first started blogging, I actually selected the blog URL "A Day In The Life" although I ended up changing the title to Amazing Trips before I ever made the blog public.

I've always wanted to record a full day in the life but I've never had the mind to do it. Until today. Today, Charlie will be working the first shift - so I'm home with the kids. And I'm interested to capture a full day so that I can one day look back on this and wonder how I ever kept my sanity intact. I'll come back and insert photos in to the posts later because I've got to be efficient if I'm going to do this any justice.

6:03: Henry wakes up. We are trying to wean so Charlie took him out to the couch to sleep for a few minutes while I stayed in bed.

6:12: Charlie fell asleep on the couch. Henry comes in to the bedroom, climbs in to bed and starts nursing. I'm semi-conscious and think that I'm dreaming.

6:39: William is awake looking for his elephant straw. His screaming wakes up the entire house.

6:41: Everyone is awake. Elizabeth is looking for bunny. Carolyn is telling William to BE QUIET. Henry is nursing. Charlie starts getting ready for his day at work. I am summoning strength for the day alone.

6:48: I get dressed and make my way out to the kitchen. The kids have already dressed themselves and helped themselves to breakfast. Elizabeth is a fairy with wings, Carolyn is a ballerina. They have opened cartons of yogurt and dived in to a loaf of bread. I decide that life was a lot easier when the kids were confined to cribs and I could lift them out and put them in highchairs and feed them in an assembly line. The kids start opening random boxes of cereal and I say, "Wait a minute! Let me get it!" and Elizabeth says, "No mom, it's OK, we'll take care of ourselves."

7:14: After a survey of the refrigerator and realization that a lot of our fruit from last week is going bad (which we didn't eat due to the bug), pull stuff out to juice. First, I have to pour cereal for Henry because otherwise, he'll be climbing on chairs and causing a commotion.

For the next 45 minutes, the kids help me peel fruit, sort through bad strawberries, stuff various fruit in to the juicer and then for a few minutes of blessed peace, sit back and in relative quiet, drink fresh juice.

7:25: Charlie grabs a banana and leaves for the day. He is driving to San Clemente for a business meeting at a fancy restaurant. He looks clean and fresh. And very happy. After being home with the children most of the day yesterday, he skips out the front door waving good bye over his shoulder. Before he leaves, he poses with William who has done his best to match his outfit to his father's.

8:04: I'm cleaning up from breakfast and the kids are giving their plastic dinosaurs a bath in the sink and trying to wash each other's hair.

8:15: I finish updating my first segment of the day and am wracking my brain as to what we are going to do today. Must unload dishwasher, make beds, finish cleaning up from breakfast and start a load of laundry.

And then, I have no idea...