Day in the Life: Summer 2014, No. 1

Digging through some boxes in the garage last week, I came across a 2008 Day in the Life project that I'd only managed to complete about 70%. It's an altered book, a paper project complete with scrapbook accents and printed photographs, scraps from the activities of that week. And the 70% that was completed was beautiful. I'd forgotten I had that kind of art in me. So as I flipped through it, deeply grateful I'd managed to get at least that much done.... so grateful that that more ambitious version of me had even undertaken such a project in the first place, I decided two things. 

1. I will finish that project. Likely with less-ambitious detailing, and definitely with some gaps that have long-singe been forgotten... but I only had two more days out of the seven to finish, and I still have notes from those days. I can do a marginally decent job just finishing it up, so that this book doesn't become one more victim in my life of not-quite-finished projects. 

2. Since finally catching up on my client session editing, I have a rare free week's worth of evenings. It's a good week to undertake a "Week in the Life" set of images from NOW. Time to shoot as my days go by, and time, amazingly, to cull and edit them in the evenings. Definitely not bound for an elaborate art project, these photos can still be taken and can be blogged and the story can still be told in a small way. So why not?

So.... Now it is Thursday, and I HAVE taken photos each day... But true to my current version of self, I'm no SuperEmily, so Day 1 of 4 is all I have for now. It'll do. I can live with that. And if Day 1 is all that ever gets blogged, I can live with that too. 

So. Here was our Monday. Nothing special... VERY typical of how the last three weeks have been, since all our traveling in June wrapped up. Lots of home time. Lots of pajama-lingering. some cartooning every day.... But not ALL day. Lots of free play. Always a nice, long quiet time. Humble dinners.... Mellow evenings. No big deal. But so dear to me, even in its no-big-dealness.

(this kid runs right over when the fridge is opened. He likes to slide the "humidity sliders" on the veggie drawers. And sometimes tries to take out the minced garlic jar.)

(back on that stool, trapped, milk and lovey tossed down, looking at me like, "Why aren't you rescuing me from this ONE STEP I can't get down from?")

Don't judge. Sometimes they get eggs or zucchini bread. PopTarts are rare.

I *will* get this 2008 project done. I *will*.

Elaborate, 10-page spread he has been working on all week.

Ooh, ooh-- HE got a healthier granola bar and not a PopTart. REDEEMED!

The view from my kitchen sink. All day long. It's calming.

Sneaking in some work while the kids watch a cartoon.

Fix-it Mama.

Attempting a morning nap though I've been trying to ease him out of it usually....

Meanwhile, Lucy is being 3 years old over something... maybe because I left her to go put Quinn down? Clearly the story behind the tears doesn't stick because, well, this happens A LOT. Over negligible things. Poor girl.

So..... then the power went out.

And we sat and did nothing much while I tried to rally and figure out what we should do now. Because Quinn's sound machine had been shut off, and he was not going to actually nap.... and we were all still in jammies and not ready for the day..... And we're super low on fun money this month, so options are more limited....

But finally, I got Quinn up, got us all dressed, packed a diaper bag, and since we have a membership there, we headed to the Magic House. I decided against bringing the big camera to document things. It's hard enough lugging three kiddos. Thank you, iPhone, for filling in as substitute.

(HEAVEN to this kid, who tries to "help" me at every store with every pin pad. Finally he had free reign.)

Hot, sweaty, and overtired, we trekked home to the power being back on (the city is replacing massive water pipes in the rad right in front of our house, so the power thing has happened a couple of times. I anticipate the water getting shut off some day soon.)

Rushing in the door to get all three kids into Quiet Time mode, I confess this is the lowest-patience time of day. Quinn had dozed in the car the last two minutes, so he was jolted awake and took longer to settle back for his REAL nap than he would've if he'd stayed awake. But eventually, all three were sequestered in different rooms and mama got a breather. 

And a cupcake from the weekend. Yum. 

And time to stand still and just be. Hi, basil. 

Evening commencing: simple dinner, Joe home and changed into casual clothes and diving into the Daddy role...

Low-key dinner table. 

Post-nap Lulu and her motley collection (always) of things...

Pre-bedtime Game of Life.... bath for Quinn.... stories, songs, bedtime for the other kiddos.... Then a night of computer/tv/winding down for the grownups.... 10:00bed for Joe, midnight bedtime for me.... and begin again the next day. 

That's all.... Just a day in the life. ♥