Day in Our Life

I got a cute photo of the kids yesterday morning as we were waking up Tyler, so I decided to document our day in photos as best we could. Tyler is only 5, and it's hard for me to remember his first three years, pre-Alivia. It's funny how the addition of a child makes you forget so much about the life you knew before he or she arrived. It made me realize that in a few months, when we welcome Baby 3, it will be hard to remember THIS life we're living now.

So, for memory's sake, here was our day...

Yesterday was Thursday, which means I don't go into the office. Instead I remote into my email around 8 a.m. and monitor requests and questions throughout much of the day. I also normally bring home a project to work on or article to write, but since I worked late on Wednesday, I was ahead of the game, so I just planned on monitoring email.

Alivia and I woke up around 7:15. She was soaked, so after a trip to the potty (with no luck, obviously), I threw her wet PJs into her hamper and set her on the couch with blankets wrapped around her - she likes to wear only a pull-up after she strips off her PJs - and Curious George on TV. She drank a cup of milk and watched George and the Cat in the Hat until breakfast at 8.

Tyler didn't get up on his own before 8, so I headed in there around 7:45, opened the blinds, then sent in his sister.

 

At 8 a.m., the kids ate breakfast (Alivia had pancakes; Tyler had Trix) and watched Super Why. By 8:30, Tyler is supposed to be dressed and then takes his PJs to his PJ drawer, makes his bed and brushes teeth. I got Alivia ready while he did that. We headed out the door at 8:53 and made it to preschool right at 9!

Alivia and I usually run an errand on Thursdays after dropping Tyler off. Today we hit Meijer for grape jam for PB&Js and some fresh fruit. We can't go to Meijer without checking out the fish...

... or riding the (free!) horse at the checkout area.

We made it home by 9:40 in time for Elmo on Sesame Street. Alivia spent the morning watching PBS, snacking and getting into trouble while I

A) replied to emails and paid bills at our desk in the kitchen;

B) addressed the disaster area that is our kitchen sink;

C) checked on her often and found ways to keep her out of trouble (she got my wallet out of my purse at one point).

Oh, I also tried to get her to stay dry, but potty training isn't going all too well.

We headed to get Tyler at 11:20. Usually we pick him up and head right back home for lunch so I can get work done, but I didn't need to rush back for once, so we stayed after school for awhile and played on the playground. The weather was perfect!

By noon, we were home. I whipped up PB&Js, carrots and chips for us. They ate.

I ate and proofread some stuff for work. After lunch, the kids usually can play or watch some TV until about 1 while I clean up and monitor work stuff, so that's what we did.

Alivia got into more trouble. She's in time out here for putting Tyler's dominoes in her mouth.

My goal is to get Alivia down by 1:30 for nap. Yesterday she and I read two stories, then she laid down with a cup of milk in her crib and was out for the next three hours. Usually during nap, I work on the projects I bring home while Tyler watches a movie or plays Wii (I hate the amount of screentime he has). But yesterday, we went downstairs to pick up and play before heading outside, but then I discovered the cat had puked, meaning I had to steam vac. So Tyler headed back upstairs to watch a movie while I cleaned the entire basement floor.

By 3:30 I was done and his movie was over, so we headed outside so he could play baseball in the backyard.

Then we headed to the front so he could ride his bike. Alivia woke up at 4:30. After going through the potty routine and passing her off to Tyler to play in the living room, I began dinner. By 5, Tyler was getting ready for soccer and both kids were eating an early dinner. Andrew walked in at 5:25, changed, ate quickly, then he and Tyler headed to soccer practice.

Alivia and I hung out at home and picked up. By this time I was moving SLOW. My lower back cannot take a day full of cleaning. The boys got home by 7. I ran an errand. We played around the house for a bit.

Andrew and the kids hit the shower around 8, followed by PJs, ice cream and teeth brushing (I watched a DVR show until my assistance was needed for drying the kids and putting on PJs).

Usually there's some horseplay in the living room, or running of laps to get rid of energy for the night.

By 8:30/8:45, both kids were in Tyler's bed. Andrew or I take turns lying down with them to read stories (it was my turn last night). Then lights go off, the kids say prayers, Alivia heads to her room and one of us puts her in her bed with a cup of milk. Tyler usually wants one of us to come back to his room to lay down until he falls asleep, which we usually oblige (but not last night; too much to do) and usually fall asleep for several hours, only to wake up and stumble into our bedroom. :)

Once the kids were in bed, Andrew and I watched the Matrix 3 for a bit and How It's Made. Then, lights out!