a day in the life | part I (before baby)

Everyone has been asking me how things are going with three kids and my reply is always "GREAT!" Because in my mind, it is. 

But I guess I never clarified that, to me, "great" means we're keeping our heads above water. For now, I'm keeping my expectations super low- like, if I've managed to keep everyone safe and fed it's been a good day.

I suppose my general attitude of content comes from the fact that, while pregnant, I imagined it was going to be so much worse. Compared to those panic attacks and moments of thinking how am I going to be able to handle three kids??? our current state kinda feels like we're staying afloat. 

But afloat is a far cry from what is (or was) normal around here. Around this time last year, I did this little Day in the Life project where I logged & photographed my entire day. I was just looking back at this and was amazed by what I could accomplish in a day then versus what gets done with a newborn.

Since I never really did anything with last year's Day in the Life project (I really only did it on an anthropological whim (did I just make up a term?), thinking that I could someday look back on it and say huh, so that was what my day was like then!), I thought I would post it here today... to show you what life was life B.B.- Before Baby. (I'll give you the A.B. in a future post.) 

And so, without further ado...

February, 2014- 

A Day in the Life 

(Before Baby): 

6am: The kids both tiptoe into our bedroom. After snuggling in our bed and watching an episode of Special Agent Oso, we came downstairs for breakfast: I let them scoop their own cereal and pour their own milk (from the little pitchers)

6:30- While the kids eat, I make Ollie's lunch for school- This entire bag usually comes home completely empty except for whatever veggies I throw in (peppers today). There's no chance, but I always try.

After Ollie's lunch is packed in his backpack, I make Jon's lunch for work.

7:00 I get Ollie dressed for school and, since the kids are in the other room playing, I cut up some fruit for Peyton's snack at Nursery School. I also pay her tuition bill (plus a few other bills while I have the checkbook out). 

8:15- After getting Ollie on the van, I tackle the dishes. Peyton is in the playroom with her "di-shars"

Clean! Now I can go play with Pey for a bit!

10:00 After we play dinosaurs, Peyton gets into her My Little Pony bin. I leave her to go clean up the laundry room (which is a dumping ground every day. Peyton starts to get moody so I put her in bed for a little nap (she usually wakes up much later than 6 so I figured she'd take an early nap today)

I fold a few bins of laundry and start to put them away then take a quick shower before waking Peyton up and getting her dressed.

I usually only do my hair/makeup & wear something not involving yoga pants on days when I bring Peyton to school or have an appointment. The rest of the days, it's pure comfort.

Noon: Before dropping Pey off at Nursery school, we bring Zoe to the vet for her Percorten injection. 

Reading a few books in the waiting room

12:15: Like every Tuesday/Thursday, Pey doesn't want to go to school. 

I spend a few minutes trying to convince her to walk in and finally carry her, crying, into the building. Drop off goes well after that- she wants me to watch her go down the slide and miraculously lets me leave without any more tears. 

From the school, I run to the market.

1:30: After the groceries are put away, I feed the wild birds...

...and then my own birds.

Its a beautiful day so I let the girls out for a walk while I collect eggs.

Inside, I wash all of the eggs and put them away. 

1:45- Quick lunch..

2:00 And some chopping so I can make Chicken Soup for dinner. Now it's time to pick up Pey from school.

We get home in time to get Ollie off the van.

3:15 An after school snack...

3:45: we work on some Valentine's to bring into school tomorrow.

4:30: I let the kids watch Curious George while I cut up fruit for each of their classrooms tomorrow.

5:00: Time to feed Zoe.

Today it's Ollie's turn to give the the "GO!" command.

5:30: Dinnertime. Kids start asking where daddy is...

6:00: DADDY'S HOME!!! (This is pretty early for him)

Dadddy's Home Dance Party. Blurry cause I'm dancing too! Woo Hoo! We head upstairs to get ready for bed.

6:30-7: Jammies, brushing teeth & story time. Kids go to bed and J and I go downstairs. I finish up the Chicken Soup I started and we have that for dinner. After dinner, I clean up the kitchen and we watch a show in the family room... And then I was so tired I stopped logging and taking pictures! 

Life sure is different now with the little lady here! It differs day-to-day, but I'd estimate that on a good day I'd only be able to do a quarter of what I previously was able to get done.I promise you guys I will make an "After Baby" Day in the Life post, but- at the risk of foreshadowing- I should warn you that it might take a while...

*** You can read my Day in the Life | Part II here