A Day in the Life

Many of you (okay, two of you) commented that you'd like to see a glimpse into an average day in SFC land. The truth is, our schedules change based on the girls' activities, school year vs summer, blah blah blah. So I've done the best I can by giving you...today. About half way through the day, I kind of started hoping that someone (other than Henry) would shit their pants, so I'd at least have something funny to talk about.

Alas, it was kind of a normal day. I don't have days when I clean house, I just kind of do it all the time. In addition to the maintenance stuff (kitchen, laundry, beds, general pick up), I try to do one or two "things" a day. That thing could be cleaning the bathrooms, or mopping, or cleaning out the icebox, or going to the grocery store. I can't do it all in one day, so I don't even try. Unless we're having company, I don't do anything but maintenance on the weekends. I will try to be parenthetically amusing so as not to shatter your illusions about my awesomeness.

6:00-7:30 a.m.: I'm up first, and with luck, 30 minutes before anyone else. I can have a cup of coffee, look at Facebook, and obsessively check my Blogger stats. Katie's up for school at 6:30, and Julia and Henry usually around that time as well. I make breakfast, prod Katie along, get everyone fed (bagels and fruit this morning), breakfast dishes cleaned up, first load of laundry started and Katie out the door to catch the bus. I get the little ones dressed.

A note about laundry: Laundry can kiss my ass. I usually do 1-2 loads a day, but when I skip a day (like yesterday), suddenly I have like 6 loads. That is bullshit.

7:30-8:30: My mom came over this morning and watched the little ones while I ran 4 miles, showered and dressed. She does this 2-3 mornings a week, depending on her schedule. Aren't I lucky?

8:30-9:30: I have my breakfast (egg whites with salsa - fascinating!), while the kids play. Play in this case was screaming and piano playing. I watered the plants on the patio and porch, then cleaned the inside of the living room and kitchen windows, where someone had licked them. A lot. I switched over and folded a load of laundry. The little ones like to help, and they make it kind of fun.

9:45-11:15: Some days we have playdates, some days we go do something fun, some days we run errands - which is what we did today. Dry cleaners, Target, the Dollar Store and craft store (the latter two for Julia's "Princess Pajama Party" this weekend. Just an afternoon party. For princesses. In pajamas. For no reason.)

11:15-11:45: Lunch for the kids and clean up, because Henry eats like a pig.

11:45: Henry down for a nap. While I nursed him to sleep, I checked and responded to e-mails.

11:50-12:00: Hey! More laundry! I found $5 in a pocket, which makes me giddy . Some people might call it a tip, some might call it a perk of the job, I call it a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte, bitches! For the moment, I settle for another cup of SFC special brew.

12:00-12:30: Julia plays on the computer while I do some power chores. Made my bed, dusted the bedroom, put away laundry, cleaned the master bathroom. While cleaning, the word "sofrito" got stuck in my head, prompting the internal debate: Is it accurate to call sofrito the Spanish mirepoix? (I think so.) And would I be able to spell either sofrito or mirepoix without looking them up? (Sadly, no.) When I went to empty the trash, I found this. Someone has been in my postpartum giant maxipad stash! And yes, it was sitting atop the trashcan, just like this.

Clean bathroom! Ill fitting short shorts!

12:30-12:45: I had my lunch (2 slices turkey, salad, cantaloupe and a cup of Greek yogurt. Contain your excitement).

12:45: Someone screamed and loudly slammed the bathroom door adjacent to Henry's room, waking him from his nap. Fudge. (Because I don't cuss in front of my kids. I'm too classy for that.)

12:45-1:45: Play Play Play. We roll around in the floor and pull out everything in Henry's closet. Julia and Henry, most of the time, play really well together, and I like being in the middle of it.

1:45-3:00: We head out the back door to walk up to the grocery store for a few things. We spend 15 minutes or so chatting with our across the alley neighbors and friends, before taking the 1 mile (round trip) walk. Julia rides her bike and never complains, even though it's hot as hell and uphill on the way there.

We get home, put away groceries and get ourselves ready, because when Katie comes home at 3:10-

3:15-5:30: We go to the POOL! This is the time of day that is usually the busiest, with homework and activities and dinner making and various other bullshittery. But it's the last week of school and activities have been suspended for the time, so all we have to do is enjoy the sunshine and the company of friends. It doesn't suck. Pool aftermath:

5:30-6:30: Make dinner (BBQ chicken sandwiches, BBQ slaw, strawberries - easy, summery, and not very filling), eat, clean up the kitchen. Katie showers (hoorah for mostly independent bathing) while I make dinner, and she and Julia both set the table and clear it after dinner.

6:30-7:30: As mentioned, it is the last week of school. Which means Katie brought home the contents of her desk, otherwise known as Katie's Cavalcade o' Shit. I went through it all (including some really good poetry, and a writing piece that was a stunningly accurate example of dialect. Seriously, it was impressive.). I folded another load of laundry, and bathed Henry and Julia.

7:30-8:00: WRESTLEMANIA! Katie is a big wimp, so she mostly does things like hide under the bed and yells "Be careful! Be careful!" Julia is a beast, and Henry is a biter. Sean takes the worst of what Julia has to offer, while I just lay there covering my head and hope that no one draws blood. It's good fun.

8:00: CHILDREN! TO BED! Katie stays up and reads until lights out at 8:30. Weekend and summer bedtimes are far more lax, but everyone needs this schedule during the school year.

And after that...after that, I blog, and sit, and talk to my husband, and get ready for the next day, and thank God. My days are what I make them, and that's an enormous gift. Even when they're boring.
 

Hey! Congratulations to Merlot, who won my FABULOUS PRIZE giveaway for my 100th post! Details of the actual prize will be posted soon!

 

Fear

One of the suggestions I received for a post was to share something about myself that I wouldn't normally share.

This rules out any talk of bodily functions, wardrobe malfunctions or screaming banshee children. I have very few personal boundaries, so in order to tell you something I wouldn't normally, I have to get painfully honest. That doesn't sound like much fun.

When I started writing this, I had decided to tell you how much I hated answering the question - "So, where did you go to college?" Because, of course, I didn't. I had intended to take a year off, then go to a performing arts school and have a life in theater in some capacity. But I never went back, and for the past 20 odd years, I have waved it off with the comment, "Life happens."

The truth is, I was scared. I never went because I was afraid someone was going to sit in front of me and tell me what I already knew - that I was good, but not good enough. That I could work hard and practice and devote my life to theater and it would never be enough to make me into something I wasn't. Unwillingly to fail, unwillingly to be mediocre, unwilling to try, I gave up.

While I would never change the path my life has taken, not trying remains my greatest regret.

It's a problem for me, the not trying. No sooner do I commit to something than I start planning my exit strategy. If ever I'm presented with a challenge, there is always a reason I can't get it done. Rather than take the chance, I expend all my energy on getting the hell out. It is so much easier, the well traveled path. I love my rut - it is cozy and warm and safe, and I know well and navigate with ease the little bumps it contains.

There are things I want to do, but just typing this, just thinking about it, my throat is lumpy and my eyes are hot with tears. If I fail, will my family stop loving me? Will my friends desert me? Will my life change in any measurable way? No. So why do I find it so hard to just stop with all the bullshit and take the first step? I am comfortable with who I am, and hopeful of who I could be, and so very unsure of getting there.

Battles Won, Battles Lost

I just deleted a hugely boring, whiny, long and rambling post about a marginally sucky day.

Instead, let me say this: Sometimes kids are jerky. Sometimes they are even super jerky. It is in those times, when parents are the most stressed, the most flustered, the most angry, that we tend to make stupid decisions.

For instance, if your kids are tired and cranky and teething and hungry, taking them out to a restaurant is probably not the best idea. Even when they say 'Please oh please! We'll be good! But we really want to!', and they wear you down in that most annoying but extremely effective kid way. Because they know you are tired and if they just keep at it, you'll cave.

Don't cave. If you do, you will be hauling a screaming baby and your to go order out of that joint before the first basket of chips and salsa has gone adios. 

On the other hand, if they want to sleep on the air mattress on the floor of your bedroom, and are willing to go to bed half an hour early to do it - Jump all over it.

100

WOOT! IT'S SFC's 100th POST!

It is shocking to me that I have managed to find some bullshit to talk about 100 times. Even more shocking is that there are people who continue to read it. And a lot of you aren't even related to me! To celebrate this ginormous milestone, I am going to have a FABULOUS PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

(cue the dancing girls and farting elephants!)

Here's what you have to do to enter - just post a comment telling me either a) your favorite SFC post to date or b) a topic you'd like to see me write about. Please make sure to include your e-mail so I can get in touch with you. And while this isn't required for entry, do me a solid and tell your friends to come over, read and comment. I will pick a winner on Monday, June 6.

Here's what you win - SOMETHING FABULOUS. I can only promise that it will be awesome and cheap, much like me.

Thank you for reading and following and encouraging me to talk about my fascinating life of poopy diapers, granny panties and pit sweat. I love you guys, in a fake internet way that carries no real emotion. XXXOOO