The last two weeks have been completely crazy. The kind of crazy that I'm pretty sure is just our new kind of normal. Three kids who are very social and involved in all the things, a dad running two companies who is actively coaching and unreachable every weeknight from 3-7 p.m. and who is the president of a (important and wonderful!) nonprofit that seems to require meetings on a daily basis, a mom who works full-time and has two part time jobs and occasional mandatory mamas nights out, and the logistics they are a logistical. Thank god the bulldog is just here for moral support.
Honestly, it works. It completely works and we eat a meal at home every night and chat about our days and when everyone is in bed (Cora at 8- except tonight, I'll note for the record because we all got home for the first time at 8:30 and still had to eat dinner, Claire at 8:30, and Landon at 9:30), I sit on the couch and watch The West Wing where the president has a brain and heart and morals (omg my brain has exploded so many times at so many news reports in the last two weeks that I just cannot), read paranormal romance novels, chat with James, or maybe photo book, but mostly just sit and chill and go to bed and snuggle and rest up to do it all again.
Tonight, for example, I worked until 5 and drove straight to TCU to teach my barre class from 5:30-6:30, swung by the house to feed the dog and let her out, drove to my other yoga studio for a staff meeting at 7, and left early from that to pick up the girls from Literacy Night at their elementary school at 8. The girls had been picked up at 3 by our sweet nanny who asked me if she could treat them to frozen yogurt because they've been so good and well-behaved these first six weeks of school. Our nanny then dropped them off at swimming at 5, James drove them from the pool to Literacy Night and stayed with them long enough to buy a bunch of books at the Book Fair, before leaving to pick up Landon and crew at middle school Skate Night while a friend who was volunteering in the library kept an eye on the girls until I could get there. Landon, who gets out of school at 4:30 and went to swimming yesterday to make up for missing it tonight, rode his bike home, ate a snack, pet Maggie "lots of times Mom," was picked up by a friend's dad at 5:40 to go to Skate Night and then picked up with all his buds by James at 8. We all convened at home between 8:15-8:30 p.m. where I steamed some frozen chicken tamales and nuked brown rice, mixed vegetables, refried beans and chopped up some tomatoes and avocado and then we all sat down together to break bread/tamales at 8:30.
And now I'm here typing to you at 10 p.m.! While watching The West Wing. I live in a world run by the Bartlet administration now.
Let's go back to last week. I went to DC Wed-Thurs for 25 hours and attended a genuinely interesting and substantive criminal enforcement conference. Our office is connected to Union Station, which I adore for its architecture and myriad of restaurants, and I accidentally gave myself a halo when I took a picture of my favorite work travel dress (Land's End Sleeveless Ponte Sheath ftw), that blazer I got from Stitch Fix ages ago that reminds me why Stitch Fix is occasionally so good for me, and a necklace I bought when I was in law school.
On Friday I took off the afternoon and spent 3 hours in the bowels of my closet trying on every single item I own- things I haven't touched in a year, things I thought didn't look good on me that surprisingly do, things that used to look good on me but now won't zip... every. single. thing. It was exhausting. I was sweaty and slightly depressed after, but also pleased to know that everything left in my closet fits my body now and excited about a few items I was now seeing in a new light. I also happened to get a delivery of a few new (larger) items I'd ordered at 50% off from Loft the week before and it was nice to add them in to my newly adjusted closet. Like this new outfit I'm very pleased by!
And then I went out to dinner to celebrate a dear friend's birthday.
I wore a romper and we stayed for 4.5 hours until close.
Claire made my friend a card because she is literally the sweetest and cards are her love language.
And on Saturday night I went to see Phantom of the Opera with another friend who took me as her date and omg the music is just so good. It has been YEARS- 16 years!- since I've seen the play, but I grew up listening to that soundtrack blasting through the speakers my dad wired throughout the house and singing VERY loudly to "Angel of Music" while doing the dishes after dinner. It was GLORIOUS to return to it and I wore a new chunky resin necklace, new black dolman sweater, and a mustard colored pull-on pencil skirt I uncovered in my closet clean out and drank a Phantom Martini in the gorgeous Bass Performance Hall and I was happy all over.
The big kids went to a 3-day USS swim meet with James on deck as their coach and did GREAT and Cora delighted in being an only child and my shadow for the weekend.
She draws all her people with visible belly buttons right now. When I asked her about it she said she has to draw their bodies first and THEN their clothes. Because you put your clothes on over your body Mom. It makes perfect sense.
Also on Sunday, I taught my very first Yoga Fundamentals class at Urban Yoga!! Five people came, which feels pretty good for a brand new class on the schedule in a spot where no class has been before, and I think it went well! I prepared all morning.
Cora had to come and hang out in the studio lobby for the 2.5 hours I was there because James and the big kids were at their meet and she was so good and really everyone was just so good all crazy weekend that I baked a cookie cake to go with dinner.
It was delicious.
On Monday the temperatures finally dropped a little (before popping back up to 95 by Thursday) and I re-wore my travel dress, a Target cardigan, and my new resin necklace. I was feeling very inspired from my closet cleanout to mix together new/old things in a way that made me happy. This is much better than trying on things that don't fit anymore and getting depressed before 8 a.m.
I got home from work at 5:00 and chatted with Landon until the girls got home from gymnastics with the nanny at 5:20 (he always has much to say on Mondays; I think he values our one-on-one window of time, the world and his social life are all more complicated in middle school and he likes to talk it out and I love it so much). I cooked a DELICIOUS but time intensive dinner (90 minutes y'all; don't let those recipe estimates fool you; unless you get home from work at an extremely reasonable hour, have self-sufficient children, and a supervisory bulldog, this is not a midweek kind of meal) while the kids played out in the front yard and Maggie supervised. It was completely wonderful. Between recipe steps I'd go outside to hang out with them and Maggie ran SO FAST chasing me around the yard (she won't run with the kids, only me; we don't know why) and we were all very impressed with her newfound athleticism and it was just the best night. James got home a little before 7, we were eating by 7:15, and it was completely wonderful. I wish the story could end there, but turns out I had a total work/life balancing "why do moms have to do all the things" tantrum after the kids went to bed over all the things on my 2-page personal/family to-do list. It happens, because it's true, and you can't always predict when the cup of the mental load will spilleth over.
It was a really nice evening though.
I have no memory of Tuesday, I'm sure it was great, and on Wednesday night I taught a yoga class at a sorority on TCU's campus which was fun. Tomorrow Landon has his second Cotillion (this time, Latin themed!) and on Saturday we have about 5 calendar entries, including our first Casa Manana children's play of the season, and then we're going out to dinner to celebrate three truly spectacular first report cards of the new school year. I can't even joke about it, we're super proud of all three of them. And so, on to food.
my fancy menu planning method
Saturday: Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (I half the butter, milk, and flour and it's still creamy and delicious), wheat crackers, sharp cheddar slices.
Sunday: Homemade Meatball Sandwiches, oven fries, raw veggies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake for dessert to celebrate a great weekend with very patient, flexible, and fast-swimming children!
Monday: Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas with double the black beans and added diced zucchini and shredded carrots, Mexican Rice.
Tuesday: Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin, Orzo with Parmesan and Peas, steamed broccoli and cauliflower.
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup, wheat bread.
Thursday: Chicken Verde Tamales (from frozen), scrambled eggs, refried black beans, and toppings (diced tomato, sliced black olives, shredded cheese, avocado).
Friday: Random items at random times- Landon has Cotillion (Latin night!), the girls have a Friday Fun Night at gymnastics, and James and I are hanging out at a friend's house between the above.
Saturday: Out!
Sunday: Lasagna Soup, salad, bread.
Monday: Avocado Chicken Salad on wheat bread, chips, fruit.
Tuesday: Tacos, cilantro lime rice (TJ's frozen brown rice, steamed and tossed with fresh chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt), toppings.
Wednesday: Creamy Ham and Potato Soup, wheat crackers, sharp cheddar slices.
Thursday: Beef with broccoli (with added sliced carrot), steamed brown rice.
Friday: It's James's birthday, so whatever he wants! Except he can't tell you what that is yet because picking food is stressful and "he doesn't know what he feels like yet." This will be annoying to me for the next 8 days until he finally has to pick something because dinner is less than two hours away.
Happy almost-weekend to you all!
I, too, spent most of high school singing along to Phantom! (Cassettes, I believe!) Thanks for putting Angel of Music in my head this morning. :) Happy Friday.
ReplyDeleteI feel you on the why do moms have to do all the things! For me, usually it's because I want to and I like being in control of all the things, but sometimes it is too much. Luckily my husband is very helpful, but I feel like I carry most of the mental load.
ReplyDeleteYes exactly. James does a lot! He runs the mornings, does all breakfasts, packs the lunches, handles anything related to swimming or swim meets, and any doctor's or dentist appointments that take place before 2 p.m. And he is genuinely interested in helping make my list shorter in any way he can. And I like keeping the list! I could literally never hand it off because I would need to know every 5 seconds if things were being done properly. But it is QUITE A LIST and every now and then I have a small breakdown over how unfair it is that I (and generally all moms, including those who work full-time) must be the keeper of ALL THE THINGS while he (and generally all dads) "helps." And even with the helping, I still have to check in to make sure it's done so it's not like it leaves my list just because I've deleted to my husband/partner/co-parent. So I yell about it for a little while and because he knows how much I do and he could literally never do it or want to, he acts regretful that the patriarchy has led us to this path and offers no suggestions because I am not interested in hearing them.
DeleteThen I settle into a good paranormal romance book while cuddled next to him on the couch and we are both glad the storm has passed.
Hi! This is Amanda at the SEC-- when you're in DC next time definitely reach out and let's get coffee or lunch! We could even venture outside Union Station =) Take care-- your blog continues to be awesome, and I'm always so happy to see Fort Worth seeming so great-- I loved growing up there, and it is such a special place.
ReplyDeleteAmanda! Yes! I didn't even think of it (it's like the DC I visit for work is separate from the DC everyone else I know in DC lives in, and apparently works in - even when you work at the same place!). I definitely will next time, and thank you for the kind words. We love Fort Worth!
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