A Day in the Life 2015
5.14.2015
Welcome to the third annual "A Day in the Life of the Nelsons" post! I've done one each May three years in a row now and I have to admit, those past posts are some of my personal all-time favorites. I really enjoy going back and seeing how much the boys have grown and how much our routine has changed. So sit back, prepare to laugh a little, and take a peek at what Tuesday May 12th looked like for our family. And although I realize Jed does only need a well check-up once a year, I feel like at least a third of my mornings are on the go these days. So this day was as good as any to pick!
After breakfast, I start a load of laundry and hop on Instagram toembarrass wish my sister a happy birthday. Then I start making a picnic lunch. On the menu: ham and cheese sandwiches, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for Jed (by request), yogurt, pretzels, grapes, carrot sticks, and an apple just for me. Then I help Levi get dressed and turn on some cartoons for the boys while I hop in the shower to get ready for the day.
Side Note: I normally incorporate some kind of an exercise routine into my day (most days), but it's been rough this last month trying to get back into the routine after my miscarriage. My body just can't handle it. I am zapped of energy! Slowly but surely, however, I'll make it back.
9:08AM: Time to hop in the car to make it to Jed's doctor appointment at 9:40AM. On the way out the door, my neighbor Tiana calls. She's in a pickle. Her husband was called into work and she needs a babysitter that evening. I totally understand! I tell her I can watch her kids, that Bron is gone tonight too and having some friends over will help pass the time. Unfortunately, amidst all the commotion, I forget to tell Jed to grab his backpack. Oh well.
At the doctor's office we find out that Jed is tall (no surprise), and though he's a goofy kid, he is as healthy as can be. What a blessing! I don't have any concerns about Jed keeping up with his peers in kindergarten this Fall. After being thoroughly checked over and questioned, Jed rolls up his pant legs for his immunization shots. Oh, his tears bring tears to my eyes! But the nurse is super quick and makes sure he has some cool band aids. Jed is over it in less than two minutes. That's my brave boy!
10:50AM: Time for a picnic lunch at the park! I'd heard rumors about this awesome brand new park just built on the west side of town, so we went to check it out while we were over there. The rumors did not disappoint! It was busy with people, but understandably so because it is amazing: AstroTurf underfoot, crazy geometrical designs, tall slides, and toys that spin and slide and move. I couldn't wait to play with the kids! Needless to say, the three of us ate the majority of our lunch on the ride back home. Ha!
3:55PM: Time to pick up Jed from the bus! Since Levi is still zonked out, I head out by myself to the corner. A rain storm is coming in. The thing about Idaho storms is that they often disappear as fast as they come in. In other words, if you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes. Luckily, Jed and I make it back to the house just as it starts to rain.
4:10PM: The witching hour. I wake Levi up from his nap and the three of us sit down at the table for an afternoon snack. Then it's time for guitar practice! Jed happily makes up a a silly song for me, but it's like pulling teeth getting him to concentrate for ten minutes. Levi complains that he's cold, so I wrap him up like a burrito in a blanket. Jed says he's cold too, so I wrap him up as well. Levi sits on Jed. Jed laughs... until Levi won't get off. Then Levi grabs the tricycle and rides around the house. It's kind of a crazy hour.
5:50PM: I leave the kitchen a mess and head outside with Jed and Levi to meet our three neighbor friends I agreed to babysit. They live directly across the street, so we all grabbed our bikes. The kids spent a solid hour racing their bikes up and down the cul-de-sac and around the Egbert's smooth asphalt driveway. I even put my camera down and joined the kids on my bike! Good times.
8:32PM: Yay! The kids are in bed. The house is quiet. Time for me to do one of my all time favorite things: edit pictures! So my tired body stupidly sat up till midnight reading blogs and editing pictures. Bliss!
And that, folks, is a good day!
*******
5:15AM: Bron gently kisses me goodbye on the cheek and whispers, "I love you," as I lay sleeping in bed. He is headed to Montana to visit dairies. It's an overnight trip he takes every month.
7:25AM: Jed comes to my bedside chipper and completely dressed for the day! He never does that; he is just super excited for his doctor's appointment. If only he knew that he would probably cry when the nurse poked him with a few needles, I don't think he would be so eager. He tells me 'good morning Mom!' and asks me to make him breakfast, so I roll myself out of bed.
Levi groggily stumbles into the kitchen. I sweep him up into my arms for a long hug while Jed impatiently tells me he needs milk. Both boys want to sit at the bar for breakfast this morning. I pour them some cereal (they prefer it dry), fill Jed's cup with milk and Levi's with water (Levi will only drink chocolate milk), give them each a handful of grapes and a vitamin. Voila! Breakfast is served. We read a whopping five verses of scripture together. I figure a little bit is better than nothing at all!
After breakfast, I start a load of laundry and hop on Instagram to
Side Note: I normally incorporate some kind of an exercise routine into my day (most days), but it's been rough this last month trying to get back into the routine after my miscarriage. My body just can't handle it. I am zapped of energy! Slowly but surely, however, I'll make it back.
9:08AM: Time to hop in the car to make it to Jed's doctor appointment at 9:40AM. On the way out the door, my neighbor Tiana calls. She's in a pickle. Her husband was called into work and she needs a babysitter that evening. I totally understand! I tell her I can watch her kids, that Bron is gone tonight too and having some friends over will help pass the time. Unfortunately, amidst all the commotion, I forget to tell Jed to grab his backpack. Oh well.
At the doctor's office we find out that Jed is tall (no surprise), and though he's a goofy kid, he is as healthy as can be. What a blessing! I don't have any concerns about Jed keeping up with his peers in kindergarten this Fall. After being thoroughly checked over and questioned, Jed rolls up his pant legs for his immunization shots. Oh, his tears bring tears to my eyes! But the nurse is super quick and makes sure he has some cool band aids. Jed is over it in less than two minutes. That's my brave boy!
^^The boys stuck their heads into the hall, anxiously waiting to see the doctor.^^
10:50AM: Time for a picnic lunch at the park! I'd heard rumors about this awesome brand new park just built on the west side of town, so we went to check it out while we were over there. The rumors did not disappoint! It was busy with people, but understandably so because it is amazing: AstroTurf underfoot, crazy geometrical designs, tall slides, and toys that spin and slide and move. I couldn't wait to play with the kids! Needless to say, the three of us ate the majority of our lunch on the ride back home. Ha!
^^Riding on the fast track^^
^^Spinning till they fell off the seats!^^
^^King of the boulder. Levi's champ stance cracks me up!^^
11:44AM: Time to get back in the car to get Jed to preschool. But first, we stop by the bank so I can cash a bunch of checks for my little (but steadily growing!) photography business. At the school, we park and walk Jed into his classroom. Levi loves using the pint-sized urinal, so we take another potty break. Our life revolves closely around the potty these days. Then I turn in Jed's updated immunization record to the school's office for kindergarten.
^^Levi became the big kids' hero when he saved their ball from the parking lot.^^
1:00PM: Home again. Levi (aka The Bottomless Pit) insists on eating. So while he eats his snack, I switch the laundry and start another load, straighten up the kitchen a bit, and manage a few other odds and ends.
Finally, Levi and I snuggle up on his bed to read a story. Today's pick: The Ox Cart Man; it's one of his favorites. Then I tuck Levi into bed for a nap.
At last, quiet time for me! I sit on the couch and scroll through Instagram and Facebook for a half hour like a drone. It's so mind numbing, it feels good. Then I pick myself up to tackle the laundry. I fold three loads. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I gather all of my supplies to finish putting together the preschool graduation picture order.
3:55PM: Time to pick up Jed from the bus! Since Levi is still zonked out, I head out by myself to the corner. A rain storm is coming in. The thing about Idaho storms is that they often disappear as fast as they come in. In other words, if you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes. Luckily, Jed and I make it back to the house just as it starts to rain.
^^One of my favorite moments of the day: getting to hold Jed's hand all the way home. I really do cherish this sweet time with him!^^
4:10PM: The witching hour. I wake Levi up from his nap and the three of us sit down at the table for an afternoon snack. Then it's time for guitar practice! Jed happily makes up a a silly song for me, but it's like pulling teeth getting him to concentrate for ten minutes. Levi complains that he's cold, so I wrap him up like a burrito in a blanket. Jed says he's cold too, so I wrap him up as well. Levi sits on Jed. Jed laughs... until Levi won't get off. Then Levi grabs the tricycle and rides around the house. It's kind of a crazy hour.
^^Toga tricycle riding!^^
5:03PM: I kick the kids outside so that I can make dinner. The boys are used to eating pancakes for dinner when Bron is out of town (they love it and have come to expect it!), so I whip up some waffles. Jed prefers to eat his waffles with peanut butter. Levi always choose syrup or jam. I've been trying (operative word is try here) to eat healthier, so I cook up a chicken breast and some asparagus sprinkled with parmesan cheese (my favorite way to eat asparagus!) for me. I couldn't help adding a waffle to my plate as well. Weird combination, I know, but that sweet maple syrup hit the spot!
In the meantime, the boys were busy getting wet in the hose outside. Wardrobe change! After dinner, I remind Jed that he needs to do his chore and feed the dog.
5:50PM: I leave the kitchen a mess and head outside with Jed and Levi to meet our three neighbor friends I agreed to babysit. They live directly across the street, so we all grabbed our bikes. The kids spent a solid hour racing their bikes up and down the cul-de-sac and around the Egbert's smooth asphalt driveway. I even put my camera down and joined the kids on my bike! Good times.
^^Kyle and Levi: two cute little mischief makers in a pod.^^
^^Sometimes I just cannot convince Levi to wear a shirt.^^
^^Apparently Jed got tired of being the slowest kid on the block on that tiny tricycle and upgraded to his big bike. Haha!^^
6:48PM: Everyone, especially Jed, seems to be getting tired so we park the bikes in the garage and head into the house. I turn on some cartoons and let the kids relax while I clean up the kitchen and fold two more batches of laundry. By that time, Kyle and Levi are getting restless, so I turn off the tv and everyone comes out into the living room to play. Somehow, Kyle and Levi make it outside again to play in the sprinklers. About 7:30, Kyle complains that he's hungry. Apparently, the three never ate dinner! So I whip up some waffles from the leftover batter. Levi wants another waffle too. The kids sit down to eat just as someone shows up to take them home again.
^^Real life living room: kids, lots of toys, and laundry. Strangely, this picture makes me happy. It's like it's a reminder that I'm doing okay in this busy crazy stage of life I'm in. There's actually some beauty here. Can you see it too?^^
8:10PM: Normally the boys clean up their toys at the end of the day, but I just didn't have the energy and I could tell Jed didn't either. Between a busy day and shots, he was beat! So we commenced our normal bedtime routine: jammies, teeth, prayer, story, and a lullaby. I always sit on their toy box to sing. Each time I summon the last of my energy for bedtime, I remind myself that I'll miss the stories and songs one day.
8:32PM: Yay! The kids are in bed. The house is quiet. Time for me to do one of my all time favorite things: edit pictures! So my tired body stupidly sat up till midnight reading blogs and editing pictures. Bliss!
And that, folks, is a good day!
