DITL - Spring 2016

I can't believe it is time for another one of these posts. I literally feel like my winter DITL was just posted...maybe that is because spring isn't actually coming this year. Lily feels personally slightly by the groundhog. For real, I'm not sure it is a relationship that can ever be repaired. Insert some cliche about time and marching and yada yada. Perhaps it is time to update an old mantra, "I'll blog when I'm dead." - If I knew how I'd silkscreen some tshirts...check Etsy they have everything!

Another season, another Tuesday...this is no ordinary Tuesday however! As of today I am have officially moved into the next age bracket for most road races. Watch out all you 39 year olds, there is a spring chicken coming for you! We like birthdays around here. Unfortunately there has been little to no "birthday week extravaganza" to speak of. Matt has had the flu for forever. Technically it was only 7 days, but that is basically the same as forever when you have three small children who are also in various states of fever and recovery. For those of you who have been keeping track, at least one of my beloveds has spoiled me with vomit on my birthday 3 of the last 5 years. While this year there was no tossing of cookies on my actual birthday (sorry to have ruined the suspense!) we have been having a rough week. Matt has called for a "Mommy birthday do over" once everyone is felling better. Sign me up.

DITL - Spring 2016

Tuesday April 12th, 2016 

I am 35! 

Matt 33

Lily 6

Ben 3 (2 weeks shy of 4)

Hugh 20m (1 week shy of 21m) 

7:04am - This is just glorious. A wake up after 7am is a beautiful thing. The kids aren't allowed out of their rooms until 7:30 but most days they are up chatting with the sun. Ben has been sleeping alone in Lily's room due to some behavioral issues we were having. (i.e. getting into Hugh's crib repeatedly, at all hours, despite knowing this is against the rules.) I incorrectly assume that since I do not hear any squabbling that Ben has stayed in bed as directed...no, we would later discover that he had been in the playroom for god only knows how long. We are sort of at out wits end with the defiance. He knows the rules, he just has zero impulse control. Matt goes upstairs to scold him and I hear Lily and Hugh greet him loudly. 

7:20am - I let Dingle handle the scolding and what must be a pretty horrific diaper change based on the protests I hear coming from Youkie. 

7:25am - I can hear everyone in the living room chattering about my birthday cards (of which Lily made 4) so I decide that I should get up and start the day! I take a peek out the window and am instantly bummed that it is grey and raining. I usually have such good luck with the weather on my birthday!

7:30am - I am happily greeted by the boys who both pucker up for their good morning kiss. Lily is mad because she is working on a "surprise" and doesn't want me to see yet. She smiles for a picture but will not let me get close enough for a kiss, haha.

7:45am - Matt has served the kids their 8 course breakfast and made me a cup of coffee. Two funny asides: With Dingle being so sick I have been on breakfast duty for the past week...the kids are thrilled to have "Daddy the waiter" back. Two, we are still eating at the pint-sized table that Dingle made for Lily's birthday party because, again, Daddy has been too sick to put the real table back in place.

8:00am - Breakfast is winding down and I check the radar map to see how much rain we are supposed to get. I have a long run on the schedule for today and I REALLY want to get it done. Outlook seems bleak!

Ben is running around taking care of "Sally" the baby doll that has recently resurfaced as Lily's major responsibility. Hugh is not far behind mimicking all of big brothers' actions. Lily is working feverishly to finish her surprise before it is time to get ready for school. I take a bunch of random pictures and Lily astutely points out that I "must be doing a day in the life." - HA!

Dingle makes Lily's school lunch: Baby carrots, a gogurt, mango, heart shaped pb sandwich bites, pretzels, and a little Easter candy...exactly the same every day.

8:15am - I take all three kiddos upstairs to get ready for the day. With Matt working from home it isn't really necessary to bring Hugh with me to drop off but he insists on going. Taking him is easier than fighting with him at the front door. There is a major squabble over the step stools in the bathroom. Ben is frustrated that Hugh is on "his stool" and opts to brush teeth in front of the window. Hugh has mastered the art of teeth brushing, clearly. 

   

8:30 - Kids are dressed and for the most part ready to go. I pull up the weather (again) to see if I am changing into running clothes or real clothes...I opt for real clothes. This is about as presentable as I can manage for our excursion. Throw my "security blanket" sunglasses on my head despite the complete and total lack of 'need'. 

8:40am - Out the door we go! (ON TIME!) 

9:05am - I pull into Ben's preschool on two wheels. This isn't actually that late for us! Having dropped Lily off at 8:55, ten minutes to cross town is pretty decent. Because I like to live life on the edge I drop Ben off before getting gas. What is the worst that could happen?!?

On the ride home Hugh quietly looks out the window and I sing along to Bieber. I consider stopping somewhere for a birthday breakfast treat but the sky is looking bright and I think I can get my run in after all. I check the mailbox at the end of the road and my heart sinks when I see the bill from the dentist. I knew it was going to be a doozie but man...was not prepared for almost 500 dollars! File this under, Being a grownup is hard.

On a happy note there were also two birthday cards in the mail!

9:30am - Hugh has a bit of a temper tantrum about taking off his coat and shoes, which earns him a brief timeout. I think he gets it, maybe? He doesn't like it, that is for certain.

10:00am - Hugh goes down for morning nap. About two weeks ago I attempted to drop morning nap in favor of one afternoon nap. Hugh has always napped better in the morning but I figured for ease of our schedule I could push nap to the early afternoon...I figured wrong. For now he is still taking two naps but in the afternoon it is usually more like 'quiet rest time' than actual sleeping. I suppose I don't really care either way, as long as he is happy. 

10:10am - Dingle is working at the counter and it is pouring off and on in 5 minute intervals. I swear the sky looked brighter over the other side of town! I putt around picking up the house for a little bit and make some notes for this post. I return happy birthday texts, check my email, and scroll through social media.

10:30am - I can't just sit here, I decide to go for it and change into running clothes. Dingle offers to go get Ben from school which means I don't have to rush right out as soon as my run is done. I have been terrible about stretching lately in part because the minute I get home someone is bound to need something. I am very excited, a run and time to relax afterwards. Happy Birthday to me!

12:00pm - All done, soaking wet, freezing, so proud. Twenty five year old me would be humbled by thirty five year old me on so many levels.

Stretching in the living room when I get this text:

12:30pm - I text Ben's preschool teacher and officially submit my application for Mother of the Year! 

12:31pm - I take a glorious hot shower and bask in the silence of my empty house.

12:50pm - Dingle and the boys arrive home with all kinds of surprises. Happy Meals, flowers, champagne, and a cookie cake! I am a lucky lady!

1:00pm - The guys and I eat lunch. Hugh acts like a wild animal. We really need to make the dining room table a priority!

1:30pm - The boys and I go upstairs to play before nap. Ben has been obsessed with playing "The ladybug game" but Hugh makes it very hard to play a complete game. We try our best to earn our mantis cards and collect aphids but Hugh is acting like a toddler Godzilla. At one point Hugh grabs my game piece and makes a bee line for the bathroom. Ben is understandably frustrated and we call it a game. 

2:00pm - The boys go down for naps. Hugh in the crib with his blankie and paci. Ben in Lily's room with blankie, Baby Chase, Reindeer, and a few other favorites of the week.

I normal wouldn't do laundry on my birthday but Ben has some clothes in his backpack that need attention! Plus, I am way behind on laundry for the week so I spend a few minutes shuffling the clothes. Of all the chores, I am the worst at laundry. No matter what I tell myself at the start of the week: I do not do a load a day, I do not switch the wet clothes to the dryer right away, and I certainly do not fold and put away the clean clothes in a timely manner. sigh. 

2:15pm - Matt offers to go pick up Lily and I decide to do something crazy...take a nap! I am not a good napper. Usually I end up feeling worse than when I went to sleep, but in light of a long run and the rigors of having been born 35 years ago I decide to risk it! 

3:50pm - I wake up on my own from nap and feel crazemazing! Snuggles on the couch with Lily and Hugh aren't too shabby either.

4:05pm - Ben peeks his head down from the playroom and after receiving confirmation of the time, joins us on the couch.  

We all watch an episode of Doc McStuffins that I have been saving on the DVR...spoiler alert...the baby's name is Maya! For a lot of reasons I have loved this particular story line. What an excellent way to introduce the kids to the concept of adoption. Kudos to you Disney Jr.. Many excellent conversations have been had!

5:00pm - Dinner! Dingle heads out to our local pizza place for a buffalo chicken pizza while I make the kids their favorite...chicken nuggets and mac mac.

After dinner I am presented with the (slightly scary) cookie cake and a very beautiful rendition of "Happy Birthday!"

 

6:00pm - With the kids all amped up on cookie cake we head upstairs to the playroom for a dance party! Sadly there are no pictures taken! That being said, I have a million videos of the kids' sweet dance moves and should definitely post them here! 

6:30pm - Rub-a-dub-dub three kids in the tub! (Again, no pics...I would like to say I was busy supervising the children...or something) 

7:00pm - Stories and bedtime. Matt reads, I wrangle. 

7:20pm - The kids are in bed so I pop the bubbly! Dingle works for a little while longer while I clean up the kitchen a bit and watch Jeopardy. 

8:00pm - The party gets real...I bust out the cribbage board! 

10:00pm - For a few hours we play cards and watch TV. Dingle isn't feeling 100% and we both decide there is no shame in calling it a night. For the record I take two out of three games ;) 

10:30pm - The kids are all settled, animals are taken care of. Teeth brushed, laundry switched over, snuggled in to bed! I put on an episode of Big Bang Theory but 5 minutes in I know I am a goner! Kiss Dingle goodnight and he laments that this was sort of a lame birthday. On the contrary and not to end on such a sappy note...BUT...if only every day could be this sweet. Happy Birthday to me! 

Thirty five...sounds pretty great to me. 

Day In The Life - Winter 2016

I know it's been crickets around here again for far too long. If nothing else I will have these DITL snapshots to remind myself why I was always too tired at night to sit down and blog. A huge thank you to Julia for hosting these posts and for tagging me on IG so I wouldn't miss out!!

I decided that I would document a Tuesday again this time around thinking it would be fun to see how much (or how little) life has changed since the fall. To be honest...the day got off to an uncharacteristically rough start and I'm not even really sure why I continued to document it after 9:30am. Thankfully days like this are few and far between!

DITL - Winter 2016

Tuesday January 19th, 2016 

I am 34

Matt 33

Lily 5 

Ben 3

Hugh 18m

6:04am - I wake up to a familiar thumping sound. My children are stuffie addicts. For real, they all have a serious problem. There are no less than 40 stuffed animals in each of their beds every single night...no matter how many times I cull the heard! For reasons that are unclear to me, every single day each and every one of these little "friends" has to be moved from the bed to the floor. To accomplish this task Ben unceremoniously chucks them from the top bunk...where they land with a loud thump...and lay in a mangled pile until nap. *sigh*

6:10am - I can hear Lily and Ben arguing. I race out of bed to shush them before they wake up Hugh. I quietly help them move ALL of the stuffies to Lily's room so they can play without waking their brother. Currently all three kids are sleeping in the boys' room. Ben in the top bunk, Lily in the bottom, Youkie in the crib. Over Christmas we needed to move Hugh out of Lily's room so that my sister would have a place to sleep and we just never put the crib back after she left. For the most part it has worked out fine...except in the morning when Hugh needs more sleep and Ben is up before the sun.

6:20am - I crawl back into bed to "sleep" while the bigs play in Lily's room. 

7:10am - Lily comes in and announces that she is "starving" and Matt gets up to start breakfast. I somehow fall back to sleep because the next thing I know it is 7:40. 

7:41am - Hugh is SCREAMING from the crib. Matt is in the middle of making what I can only guess is breakfast round two and both of the bigs are whining at the table. This is my least favorite way to start the day. I can tell Matt isn't too thrilled either. I suggest that Lily and Ben come upstairs with me to help with Hugh and give daddy a few minutes alone. The bigs refuse to pose for a picture with Hugh. I peek in Lily's room to see, surprise surprise, stuffies everywhere. 

7:45am - After a diaper change for Youkie I bring all the kids back down stairs. Matt makes me a cup of coffee and I get the wood stove blazing. The house is cold and everyone is sort of cranky. I'm not exactly sure what has been going on up to this point with Matt and the big kids but whatever it was it wasn't eating breakfast. Tired, cold, and over-hungry...the toddler tantrum trifecta! 

To add to the discomfort the entire house smells like mouse pee. We had a mouse make a nest behind the oven shortly before Christmas and I just cannot get rid of the smell...every time we use the oven. It is so gross. I literally don't know if I will ever be able to not smell it. I have tried just about everything google recommends to no avail. Bonus, I broke a pie plate in the oven last night when the vinegar I was boiling evaporated. Super. I absolutely have to do something extreme (like take apart the oven) later on today. 

 

8:10am - Eveyone is at the table and breakfast has turned unto a marathon. Tuesday is my shopping day so we are out of a bunch of the staples. The kids have fried eggs, duck food (Chex) with blueberries. I have more coffee, in the best mug ever! They beg Matt to also make them oatmeal, which I think is ridiculous, but he obliges. I can just tell that we are going to be late so I leave the table to throw on some clothes and make myself presentable for school drop off. Normally I get the kids ready first but this is not happening today. 

8:25am - SO LATE and the kids are now nursing the bowls of oatmeal. I insist that breakfast is over and rush them upstairs to get ready. 

   

What happens next is ugly. I can't get either Lily or Ben to do anything that I am asking...and I totally lose it. Like, whoa! Not only do I yell but i start saying things I don't mean. Harsh things. I call Lily a "spoiled brat" and she starts to cry. Rather than say sorry I just go silent. It is a very low moment. 

Ben is now complying and being the sweetest version of himself. While I appreciate it...I am still mad that he couldn't just act that way in the first place. 

8:47am- Matt and I help the bigs into their snow clothes. I grab the backpacks, kiss both Matt and Hugh, and go out to the car without saying a word. In the car on the way to school Lily and Ben chat about the icicles on our neighbor's roof. Lily speculates that Elsa has left Disney World to bring winter to Maine. Ben seems skeptical and offers up his own theory which involves the Easter bunny. This makes all of us laugh and breaks the tension at least a little. 

8:59am - I drop Lily off and we hold hands as we cross the parking lot. I can tell that we are both feeling sorry but she is late so we do a quick kiss and hug, say "I love you",  and she walks into school. My heart is breaking knowing that I hurt her feelings and I instantly regret not taking the time to make up properly before we got out of the car. 

9:17am - Ben is ridiculously late for school. We hit every single traffic light on the way across town.  Once we are inside his teacher has to pry him off my leg. I watch him through the window for a split second to make sure he is settled and then I leave. 

I cry in the car on the way home. I come very close to heading back to Lily's school to pick her up. As I play through the various scenarios I decide she is better off distracted at school and we can talk when I pick her up in the afternoon. 

9:45am - I arrive back at home with about fifteen minutes to snuggle and play with Hugh before his nap. I text my girlfriends about the crap-tacular morning I am having. 

10:05am - Hugh is down for his nap and I head downstairs to gather my things so I can run errands before I pick Ben up at noon. 

10:30-11:45am - Like a sad robot (how's that for an oxymoron!) I get gas and grocery shop. It's fine. I like grocery shopping normally, I am just not feeling it today. I try and compensate for the sads by being extra helpful to strangers. I offer up my cart, I help a woman find the soup, I let a women with a newborn go ahead of me in line. Very small acts of kindness but each one does help my mood. 

Side note: For about a year I have been using the "Ibotta" app to get rebates on our groceries. It is seriously awesome. I have earned over 400 dollars since downloading the app! Occasionally I will admit to buying things that I wouldn't otherwise, but in some cases we have found new foods that we love as a result! You can use it at a ton of different stores and combine the rebates with manufacturer coupons!! Seriously awesome app. (If you are interested in signing up my referral code is mdbshqp...we both get a five dollar bonus!) 

Lily has been asking me for weeks to buy a pomegranate but of course Walmart doesn't have any. There is a fancier grocery store on the way to Ben's school and I have just enough time to strike out there too before heading to pick up. I do manage to buy 5 chocolate powdered doughnut holes...only 3 of which make it home. 

12:15pm - Ben and I arrive home and I make the boys some lunch. Hugh has a pouch, cheese stick, slice of peanut butter bread, and a few pretzels. Ben has a slice of leftover pizza, a few carrots, and pretzels. Hugh is very jealous of Ben's lunch and has an epic tantrum. 

Matt makes me an egg and cheese on an English muffin! 

12:50pm - The boys and I go upstairs to play before nap. We make a pretty killer train track but I must have accidentally deleted the picture, wah wah. 

1:50pm - After breaking up squabble after squabble I decide early naps are necessary today. Ben uses the potty and gathers up some of his stuffies to lay down in Lily's room. Hugh goes down in the crib without a fuss. 

Matt tells me that his mom has offered to pick up Lily and give her dinner. I reluctantly agree to the plan even though I am really looking forward to squeezing her and telling her how sorry I am. Not needing to go get Lily means I have the rest of the afternoon to tackle the oven. I consider myself pretty handy and I was a little excited to start taking the oven apart. I mean how hard could it be to put it back together?!?  

2:30pm - I finally get to the bottom of the smell...and then nearly die of disgust. I am simultaneously elated to have figured out the source of the smell and horrified by the image that is now burned into my brain. There had in fact been a small nest behind the oven that I removed and cleaned up weeks ago but there was also a mouse nest INSIDE THE OVEN INSULATION. You guys, I just dry heaved typing that. To be honest the site of the nest isn't that big of a deal...it is the thought of the mouse, living, peeing, pooping, hoarding dog food, in my oven that makes me want to take a match to this whole place.  

Once I have the insulation out of the oven I know I am going to have to have a professional put new insulation back in. A quick google search however informes me that, no the oven is now scrap metal. What?!?! No way. I call a local appliance repair company and they confirm that it is not a job worth doing and that it would be cheaper to replace the oven. Fan-freaking-tastic. 

3:30pm - After having a pity party while cleaning up the kitchen the best I can I decide we should definitely go out to dinner. My brother, who recently moved back to Maine with his fiance (into our house), took a job as a specialist in the garden center at Lowes. He is at work so I text to see if we can meet him to look at ovens and then treat him to dinner. 

3:40pm - Hugh is up from nap but Ben is still out cold. I get Hugh dressed and he toddles around downstairs being adorable. 

4:15pm - Matt wraps up work and jumps in the shower. I get Benji up from nap and tell him the plan. He is super excited because a.) he loves the giant truck shopping carts at Lowes and b). Red Robin...Yum! He is sweetly very sad that Lily is with Mimi and not coming with us. 

5:05pm - We meet up with my brother and pick out a new oven! 

5:30pm - Red Robin is understaffed and we have to wait about 15 minutes for a table. It is a long 15 minutes with two boys who are over hungry and running around like wild animals. (This is where I eat crow because I SWORE I would never be "those people" when I had kids...what a fool.) 

The boys are awesome at dinner. Both color, eat, and chat happily for the entire meal. Food is delish and I manage to eat my burger while it is still hot. 

6:50pm - So late! We go to Mimi's and pick up a very tired Lily. She is a little jealous that she missed out on Red Robin but Ben got her a balloon so all is forgiven. 

7:42pm - These children need to be in bed! Everything is taking a long time but unlike this morning I am vowing to keep my composure. I try desperately to get one good picture of all three kids. This totally sums up our day!
  

I pull Lily aside and we snuggle in her room for a few minutes while Matt helps the boys brush teeth. I tell her how sorry I am and that I should never have called her a brat. I ask her to apologize for her lack of listening and she gets a little teary. I take this as a "good" sign that she is genuinely sorry. We both agree that going to school mad was a terrible way to start the day and she seems to take a lot of comfort in our shared sentiments. With our hearts feeling lighter, Lily says she is looking forward to going to bed. Me too kid, me too!

We read a book. Matt (literally) tosses the kids into bed while counting to 15 in Spanish (no clue how this became a thing), we do the secret handshake, and close the door. 

8:00pm - Matt settles in to work, Josh reads, and I start working on this post. We all half watch sitcoms until about 9:30 when Josh calls it a night. Matt and I are not far behind but in typical fashion I manage to stay up for another half an hour. 

10:00pm - I am ready for bed. The kids are all tucked in. The wood stove is full. Our room is freezing! I toss and turn for the better part of thirty minutes about the oven. It is not like us to make such a big purchase so hastily. Dingle assures me that we made a good choice and confirms online that it will fit in our space (I measured twice). Our little chat does actually put my mind at ease and finally fall asleep shortly before 11.