Friday, July 31, 2015

52 Weeks: June Wrap Up

I have been keeping up with taking photos each week this summer, but editing and posting... not so much. So instead of going week by week for the summer, I'm just going to do some bigger posts.

Honestly, as we approach August (seriously, how!?) I've been feeling a little guilty about our lack of summer fun compared to previous summers. We haven't been doing as many big outings or play dates, but looking through these pictures helps remind me that we have had a lot of fun enjoying the warm summer days, just in a different way than previous years. Miss A and Little J have had so much fun running wild with the neighbor girls and Baby C likes to watch them play.

Baby C loves the wagon!
Caterpillars were the best entertainment in June.
 

Painting party for Miss L.
Miss A wants to be an artist when she grows up, so this party was heaven for her!
Building a fort with the boys.
 



Little J's favorite color is purple so she loooved this vine while it bloomed!
 





Baby eating watermelon = all the heart eyes!



Franconia Sculpture Garden- so cool!
 




Happy Father's Day!
 


Helping to feed Baby C is really exciting!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Summer 2015 DITL

I missed the spring Day in the Life but I'm back for summer 2015. This is the day of June 14, 2015 for our family of five. I am 33 years old, E is 34, Miss A is 5, Little J is 3.5 (don't forget that extra half!) and Baby C is 11 months. 

6:10am: I wake up with E. He gets ready for work and I iron a shirt for him. After I finish the shirt for today I iron a few more shirts for later in the week. I also get some laundry started. (As I'm writing this I think the Danielle of 10 years ago would be so confused. Up at 6:10am on a July morning? Why?!)


6:45am: I'm super hungry so I grab a bowl of cereal and head out on the deck to eat. Little J comes walking out, but looks so sleeping. The big girls were up late talking last night, so I decide to tuck Little J back in bed. If she stays up now she will be a wreck by mid morning. Luckily tucking her in with blanks works and she sleeps for another 2+ hours. Success!


6:59am: Baby C wakes up and I nurse her, then snuggle. I can't believe she's so close to being one. She still feels like such a baby though with her lack crawling/standing/walking. After about 10 minutes of snuggling my sweet girl I changer her diaper and feed her some food breakfast.





7:25am: Miss A calls from her room that she is awake. She gets up and joins Baby C for breakfast. Baby C is very happy that one of her big sisters is up now. I fold the mountain of laundry covering the table while they eat. Next I empty the dishwasher so we can start loading it up again. Miss A follows me around whining most of this time. She's doesn't wake up very happy (she totally takes after me in this regard, and so many others).



Found this Miss A selfie while going through the camera roll for the day :)
7:50am: I wash my face and get changed in to my gym clothes. I'm much better at actually getting to the gym if I get dressed for it early in the day. Baby C comes with me to get ready because she must be by me at all times or she gets very cranky. 

 

8:00am: Miss A gets coloring supplies and sets up at the dinning room table. Of course, after getting all of her supplies out she steals my coloring book and markers. She decorates a few eggs in my book while Baby C and I find some cards to send to friends (thanks for the challenge Healthy Living Blogs!).



8:45am: After coloring Miss A wants to watch a cartoon. She chooses Dora & Friends. I find addresses for the cards so I can get them out in the mail today. I let Baby C sit with Miss A. I know babies aren't supposed to watch TV, but I need a few minutes of not carrying a baby around.


9:00am: One of our neighbors, Miss L comes over and Miss A leaves the cartoon to go play. As Miss A goes outside, Little J wakes up. I help Little j get dressed and put a pony tail in her hair with a sparkly purple hair tie. So exciting! Little J then eats breakfast really quickly so she can run outside with the other girls. I work on touching up our front closet door.


9:20am: I start getting things ready to leave for the Y. I change Baby C's diaper and get her dressed. There is a window next to the changing table and she if I don't open it when she's laying there she pulls on the blinds until I get it open. She loves to look out that window. I put sunscreen on Miss A and Little J because they will be outside at the Y. I notice that Little J's shoes are two different sizes so we head back inside to look for two shoes of the same size. I grab water bottles, 'nacks and we're on our way!


 9:37am: We're off! And only 7 minutes after I had planned to leave, and still enough time for me to get to class. Yay!


9:52am: We arrive at the Y. The big girls are really excited to be there. We check in with Miss M at the front desk. She goes to our church and is so sweet to my girls every single time she sees them. She was on vacation last week and they really missed her. Next we head upstairs to the Kid Stuff area. I check in Baby C in the baby room, then bring Miss A and Little J to the big kid room. Some of their favorite teachers are working today which makes all of us very happy.



10:00am: I go to Body Step. I don't love this class, but it's a good workout, offered at a good time today and I'm pretty sore from Body Pump Saturday and Monday, so I figure I'm going to work harder in a class than if I go down to the fitness center. Plus I really like the instructor. I take a bathroom break in the middle of class and peek in the big kid room. Some teachers are helping the girls make fans out of their pictures. Anyone else remember doing that as a kid? The fans are prize possessions the rest of the day.


11:00am: Class is over, and I am so tired. I sit down outside the studio for a few minutes before going to pick up the girls. I pick up Baby C in the baby room first. She is so happy to see me. She's totally fine being with the Kid Stuff teachers while I'm gone, but as soon as she sees me she wants me to get her right away. Her little legs start bouncing and she squeaks. Makes me smile every time. Next I head outside to pick up Miss A and Little J from the playground.


11:15am: I give the big girls a snack in the car and write down a few notes about the day before we leave. On our way home we see a lemonade stand so I quick go home, grab some money and head back to the lemonade stand. When E started at his firm, one of the main partners, Ted, would say it's un-American not to stop at a lemonade stand. He died a few years ago, but I still think of him every time I stop. Miss A and Little J love lemonade, so they're very happy with my decision. Baby C fell asleep as soon as we left the gym, so this is giving her a nice little rest too.


11:50am: Finally home. Miss A and Little J play with the neighbors while I nurse Baby C, then make lunch. We have PB&J, carrots and peas. We're running some errands later so I tell the girls I'll bring a snack along.

12:30pm: I take a shower and get ready while the girls watch a cartoon (I believe Sofia the First) and Baby C plays with some toys. Note: this is the point in the day where my notes get very short, and I take far fewer photos. This seems to happen every time I do a DITL. Oh well, at least I have some record.


Getting ready, putting on a couple of my go to jewelry items right now, my Minnesota necklace from Primp and rainbow druzy earrings from Luna B Jewelry.



1:15pm: We leave for some errands. First up we have Staples to print invitations for Baby C's first birthday party. I'm still in denial that this is actually coming up so soon. We also go to Michael's to look for a few party related things and drop off one of E's suits at the dry cleaner on our way home.





2:45pm: We're home. Baby C goes down for her afternoon nap. The big girls run outside to play with their friends. I talk to my mom on the phone and do a few things around the house.

4:45pm: Baby C is up so I nurse her and steal a few more baby snuggles.


5:00pm: Time to figure out what to make for dinner. I decide on burgers and veggies from the garden. We split a cow with E's brother, so we have a freezer full of beef, which is awesome for days when I haven't been grocery shopping for awhile and/or haven't planned dinner. The burger patties have been a lifesaver so far. This is the last package of burgers, so I'm going to have to start figuring out something else to make. I send the big girls out to pick beans and peas from the garden. We've been trying really hard to offer veggies before dinner and it really seems to be helping to increase their veggie intake. That and the garden. They love eating things they pick. We also have raspberry bushes, but they are much more interested in the greens than the raspberries. So strange.


6:15pm: We're done with dinner, which is really early for us. The big girls run back outside with their friends, E feeds Baby C her nigh time bottle and I eat a mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. Yum! E and I play with Baby C, try tummy time and chat a bit. Baby C doesn't scream on her tummy which is awesome.

 



6:45pm: I clean up the rest of the dinner stuff.

7:00pm: E, Baby C and I join the big girls outside. The kids play, E plays with the kids and we talk to the neighbors. Little J tries to get a drink from the hose, but when she turns it on it sprays right in her face. So funny! All the kids get more veggies from the garden (win!). They play crocodile and the nerf guns come out.








8:15pm: Everybody goes inside. I get Baby C ready for bed and put her in her crib quickly. This is pretty late for her. Then I get Miss A and Little J focused on getting ready for bed. I help brush their teeth, then grab a couple of books to read in Little J's bed. E reads with us too. Tonight we have Josie the Giraffe and Extra Yarn. One book with each girl's name.



8:40pm: All the kids are in bed. E has a really early morning tomorrow so he starts getting ready for bed too.

9:00pm: E goes to bed. I have some other stuff to work on so I stay up. I do a little laundry, clean up a bit and get the invitations to Baby C's party ready. I watch Drop Dead Diva on Netflix while I work. Not a great show, but perfect to watch while working.


11:00pm: I get ready for bed. Goodnight!