6:30 AM

I wake up and consider getting out of bed. I check the monitor. Henry is still sleeping so I promptly decide NO. I used to feel really lazy if I didn’t maximize every waking moment of my life, but I’ve recently realized that being insanely busy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be… So I go back to sleep for a half hour. Then I wake up and make coffee (Pumpkin Spice from Trader Joe’s – good even when the grounds sneak in!) and check my e-mails.

 

7:30 AM

Henry has been up for about a half hour, playing happily with his trains in his bed.  I like to give him some alone time in the morning – he doesn’t like people immediately in his face when he wakes up (me neither, Henry!).  Eventually, I go upstairs and get him up and changed.  We hang out for a bit and then come downstairs, and he plays with his train tracks while I do chores.  I pack his school lunch (toast, cheese, carrots, grapes, an apple), feed the dogs, and unload the dishwasher, all while making breakfast.  Supermom!

 

8:00 AM

Breakfast time.  I made the Sour Apple Chia Seed Pudding but with Gala Apples last night.  It’s good this way, but Granny Smith apples are better.

 

8:20 AM

I throw on my standard “taking Henry to school outfit,” which is a maxi dress (messy hair, don’t care!), and the Husband gets Henry ready to go.

 

8:30 AM

My phone rings – it’s my aunt. I automatically know why she’s calling me so early. She delivers the sad news – my 97 year old grandfather passed away last night. It was not a surprise but it still totally sucks… I know that long-term HTP readers were always rooting for my grandpa through his health ups and downs, so I just wanted to share that he passed peacefully at home, which is all anyone can hope for after a long and full life.  And I wanted to say that I will really miss him.

 

9:00 AM

I drop Henry off at school and then sit in my car for a little bit.  I don’t really know what to do with myself so I decide to go shopping.  I have some toddler clothes to return, and I have an urge to buy Christmas jammies for the kids (OMG, I said KIDS!).  I am super disappointed that Carter’s isn’t open yet because retail therapy would really be nice.  Ugh.  So I turn around and go home.

 

9:40 AM

I eat breakfast #2 (eggs and pancakes) and throw myself into work.  I mostly do bookkeeping and contracting stuff.  I’m doing a slew of Operation Beautiful events in two weeks.  There’s a lot to organize when you’re going to five different colleges in five different states.  I also write two freelance articles.  One of them is about working out on your lunch break, so…

 

12:20 PM

I leash up James and we go on a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood.  It’s super hot out!  Where did fall go?!  This is my workout for the day – I swam 750 yards yesterday and feel pretty sore from that.  Also, I’ve been having what I refer to as “Lightening Crotch;” this baby sits very low and likes to stiff-arm me in the crotch.  It’s not very comfortable!  Working out is not super appealing at this point in my pregnancy, although I know I should do it!  A walk is a perfect compromise.

 

12:50 PM

I drop James off at the house, jump in the car, and drive back to Henry’s school.  He had a great day!  We go directly to the grocery store, and I – for some insane reason – decide it’s a good idea to go through self-checkout with a toddler.  That is NEVER a wise move.  I wrangle him back into the car, and when we get home, he jumps out of his car seat and runs to his train tracks.

 

Okay, lots of readers have asked for details about his Thomas train tracks, so here is my spiel:  Thomas tracks are SUPER expensive, but I think it’s totally worth it because it is BY FAR Henry’s favorite toy of all time.  He plays with it every single day for at least an hour or two.  We have various different sets of tracks, bridges, tunnels, a station, and about 10 different trains, their coal cars, and other random items.  We also have some off-brand wooden tracks that work just as well as the real Thomas ones. We do not have a train table; I have a big white wicker box that the disassembled tracks go in and another box for the trains.  Henry sets up the tracks on the rug in our living room; a formation stays there for about 24-48 hours, I tear it down at bedtime, and we redo it in the morning.  I like not having a train table because we can make the tracks as big as we want and run it under chairs and the couch, which is fun!  I’ve seen some parents glue down the tracks, which I admit would be less messy… But it would also not be as fun or creative for Henry.  If you want Thomas stuff, I would recommend checking out Craigslist because plenty of parents sell off their sets when their kids get older… You can get hundreds of dollars worth of stuff for a lot less. 

 

1:40 PM

I take a break from trains to put some veggies in the crockpot.  I do potatoes, frozen kale, celery, carrots, and onions with some oil and a cup of water.  I also start to clean the kitchen.  Then I play trains for another 15 minutes or so.

 

2:30 PM

I change Henry into pajamas, wash his face and hands, and read him a book.  Then he goes down for a nap – he goes down pretty late on school days because he’s too amped up from all the activity.  I come downstairs and make myself a lunch/large snack/something.  I eat Greek yogurt, oats, a banana, and sunflower seeds.  And I do some more work at the computer while I eat.

 

4:00 PM

I have a grilled cheese and fruit.  Have you tried Cabot’s Alpine cheddar?!  OMG.  So good.

 

4:10 PM

Work “break.”  My floors are overdue for a cleaning, so I vacuum and mop.  I have been using this cleaning solution, which I dilute into a squirt bottle.  I like it – it cleans well and leaves a nice smell.  I also do some laundry.

 

4:40 PM

I take a shower, get dressed, and wake up Henry.  Around 5:15, we head to the park for some quality outdoors time with my friend Brandi and her two kiddos.  We swing, go down the slide, and make sandcastle birthday cakes until the sun begins to set.

 

6:20 PM

We come home and I make some cast iron tofu to go with the veggies I put in the crockpot earlier.  I put mustard on top and call it a meal.  It’s actually pretty good!  Henry and I sit down to eat around 6:40 (the Husband is still at work).  After we eat, I clean up the kitchen and unload the dishwasher while Henry puts away the silverware (he’s actually pretty good at it if I supervise the process!).

 

7:15 PM

Bedtime routine starts for Henry.  He takes a bath and plays with bath crayons (which are awesome, by the way). Then we do teeth, pajamas, book, and cuddles.  I kind of drag out the routine on purpose… I don’t know how it will change when Baby #2 arrives, but I’m guessing it will be more hectic.  Our current one-kid-life is starting to feel luxurious.  Actually, I heard someone call one-kid-parenting “spa parenting,” which I think is probably accurate in comparison to how I suspect two will be!  Hah.  I kiss him goodnight at 8 PM.

 

8:00 PM 

I find a chocolate bar, a jar of peanut butter, and a spoon, and I make myself comfy on the couch to watch TV.  The Husband comes home shortly after (yay!), and we catch up while watching Naked and Afraid.  I’m in bed by 10:30 – just the way I like it.