The day began at 6:45 a.m., which is 15 minutes later than it was supposed to, but my bed was cozy and James isn't doing morning practices right now and I can't resist a good cuddle.
7:15 a.m.: Everyone is dressed and loving on the dog. I'm putting on my makeup, proud to have actually blow-dried my hair, and alternatively loving on the dog too. James is yelling at everyone from the kitchen to come get their lunches.
7:45 a.m.: Running into Starbucks for my chai tea latte. It's been a week and I decided I was allowed to have one today because I packed my lunch from home. I will reheat this in the work microwave at least 3 times because I'm incapable of drinking it fast enough to not go cold.
9:00 a.m.: I've been at my desk for about an hour writing a memo (or trying to), and am now on a call with some attorneys at the DOJ for another case.
11:15 a.m.: Still at my desk, now eating a frozen vegetable yakisoba noodle bowl from Costco I just microwaved because I'm a government attorney and it can't always be $13 potato skin nachos at Heim (my current greatest indulgence; omg they are so good). There is also a mini fat free strawberry yogurt as a second course because I'm still fancy.
12:55 p.m.: I head to the parking garage to drive over to Texas A&M Law School to meet my Professor friend. We were summer associates together at Vinson & Elkins in 2007 when I was a million moths pregnant with Landon and he ... looked pretty much the same as he does now.
1:30 p.m.: I am the guest speaker in his Business Associations class to discuss being a securities attorney (and former corporate associate, litigation associate, IP associate, law student, woman who's had a baby in every job I've had... all the things). It was super fun and the students asked really great questions on everything from substantive securities law to being a junior associate to transitioning between jobs.
3:00 p.m.: My time as pretend law professor is over- we used the full 90 minutes and the questions never stopped, which seems like a good thing? Hopefully some of it was helpful or at least entertaining.
3:15 p.m.: I'm back at work, still working on my memo. My legal analysis section is killing it.
4:30 p.m.: I leave work, forgetting which floor of the parking garage I'm on because I only ever remember where I parked in the morning and never where I parked the second time if I leave and come back. I don't know why this is so hard.
4:45 p.m.: I'm home, changing into my barre clothes because I accidentally left them in a bag on my bed instead of putting them in my car. My guard dog is on duty.
5:20 p.m.: About to teach my 5:30 class! 35 students and a great play list. Let's do this.
5:50 p.m.: "And we pulse..."
6:20 p.m.: Class is over and I'm heading home to de-sweatify myself and re-dry and re-straighten my hair for my birthday mama's night out! The sky is gorgeous and I take a picture.
6:30 p.m.: James gets home with all the kids about two minutes after I do. We all greet the dog, the kids put away their swim stuff, I start the water for the pesto pasta James is going to make, and then head back to my bathroom with my "Tween Pop" playlist and plans to put some new makeup on top of some old makeup. I sit with the kids and James when their dinner is ready and hear about practice and school and how Cora beat Claire in a race at swimming (except not really explains an exasperated Claire who has clearly heard this misinterpreted version of events multiple times on their drive home).
7:20 p.m.: My friend Kim picks me up to head to the same wine bar we went to last year for our double mama birthday celebration (background: my friend Kelly and I are almost twins! Born just 5 days and 270 miles apart! Our only other differences are several inches in height, opposite hair and eye colors, and she went to college on a full soccer scholarship whereas I played one game of soccer when I was 5, got hit in the stomach with a ball, and never set foot on the field again. But otherwise- twins! We are both very organized, Type A oldest children who like the read the same books and are very concerned with following the rules.).
7:45 p.m.: More mamas are arriving. Champagne is pouring, tapas are being selected, and wine flights are being chosen.
A special surprise cake was introduced and then we almost got in trouble because we didn't ask permission to bring it in (which, funny enough, I already worried about in our group text message earlier because my great fear in life is breaking rules I didn't know existed and are enforced by faux authority figures like restaurant personnel), but then our charm won them over (and the fact we got the cake from the bakery next door which partners with the wine bar for certain menu items... but mostly it was our charm) and we were told we could serve it after all. Thank goodness. My heart rate was high during the whole exchange.
8:15 p.m.: Presents! Gift giving is my love language and I get so excited about the rare, truly surprise grown-up gift. Presents are simply the best.
I feel so seen.
8:30 p.m.: Dark and Luscious. (The wine flight. Also, my pale Swedish self.)
9:30 p.m.: We discover the cake (salted chocolate with vanilla buttercream) is amazing.
A smash cake approach is suggested, but rejected in lieu of attempting to drink it through one of my new sparkly straws. Because we're ladies.
10:00 p.m.: We realize the wine bar is closing and we should leave. We utilize both the men's and women's restrooms because none of us have the left the table for 2.5 hours and 85 wine glasses have been emptied in that time (of 2 oz. tasting pours to be clear, we're not turning 21).
10:20 p.m.: The responsible mamas go home. The rest of us end up across the street at La Zona listening to a live Mexican band and dancing.
11:10 p.m.: We're still dancing. We've made some new friends.
11:11 p.m.: Vodkaquila is a thing you drink on your birthday (or so I'm told by experts, so I step up to the challenge even though I've forgotten which order the drink v. lime are supposed to go). Ever proper, I ask someone to hold my clutch while I shoot something that is possibly too voluminous to be shot.
Vodkaquila is actually quite tasty. I switch to water for the rest of the evening because I have a job and children to attend to in the morning.
11:30 p.m.: The live band plays a feisty rendition of "Feliz Cumpleanos" just for me and I dance with them at the front of the bar. This is unpictured. (Actually there are a million pictures and multiple videos, some of which were texted to me from numbers I don't know; it's just unpictured here).
12:00 a.m.: James texts me to see if I am coming home because the dog won't come inside without me. As luck would have it, Kim is pulling me up to the house! I let the dog in, fill James in on my shenanigans, and take a very long bath.
1:30 a.m.: Asleep.
7:05 a.m.: Cora sings an original anthem to Maggie about the fact she has Kindergarten Round-Up today. Maggie is super into it. A new day begins.
As a kid-less third year associate in big law I just love reading your blog! It makes me excited for when kids come into the picture (and excited for when big law exits the picture ;)) because you make being a working mom seem doable and even enjoyable, which isn't a narrative we read about too often! PS: love the new pup's name, of course :) she is adorable and I'm so glad your family has a dog in the family again!
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