Gahhhh…. you guys. I’m just so happy right now. Happy from all your comments and support, happy that I’ve made a small step towards letting go of the must-do-all-the-things mantra and happy that it’s pizza Friday. Yes, life is good.
It might take me a little bit to get into the swing of things, but I’m really feeling energized about it all. So how did day 1 go?
Kaitlyn ended up sleeping in until 7:20 (do you hear the angels singing too?). When I heard her I furiously started typing out my last few words, trying to respond to just one more, before realizing that’s not the point of all of this. I hit send, turned off the office light and headed upstairs to my sweet, smiley baby that has recently taken an affinity to her soft little lovey bunny. She now holds it up with pride and a big toothy grin when I walk in the room.
By 8:00 Hailey was up and we all retreated to the kitchen for breakfast. I plugged my phone in off to the side and focused solely on oatmeal and the topics of the morning- clovers and the letter I. Kaitlyn quickly decided to try out the new oatmeal mask trend for both skin and hair. Usually I go the wet towel route, but with the extra time that somehow appeared yesterday morning, I decided to stick her in the bath instead.
Hailey found this hilarious and wanted to help with every step, from screaming (ahem, singing) scrub-a-dub-dub-DUUUUUUb while dumping water on her head to blow drying her hair.
It took a full hour to get everyone fed, cleaned and clothed, but for the first time in longer than I should admit to, both girls had on real clothes and their hair was fixed.
I said fixed, not styled. Still working on my skills.
As we were heading for the car, Hailey smiled at me and said ‘Mom, this is such a silly morning.’ At that moment, all was right in the world. That’s all I want- silly mornings with my messy family.
As the morning unfolded I fit in a bootcamp, taking Koda to her treatment and a trip for groceries and lunch (not meal planning this past week has led to more grocery store trips than I ever care to do again).
I’ll let that image be the sweet one we keep in mind because about 30 minutes later Hailey was having a full on tantrum on the car ride home, screaming something about sending me to time out. I always appreciate when she chooses to do these meltdowns in the car because she’s already strapped down, no one can see us and it gives me an excuse to crank up my jams (I’m only kind of kidding).
Nap time allowed me time to read, to get laundry done, shower, to pick up the house and make some phone calls. I was just amazed at how much time I felt like I had. It was so freeing.
We met friends at Acrofitness for an afternoon play date, which wore them out enough to make dinner and bedtime go fairly quickly and smoothly. I did a happy jig when I remembered I took the easy route for dinner.
Have you seen these meal deals from Whole Foods? They’re at the front of the store and supposed to feed a family of 4 for $19.99. Maybe David and I eat more than the average bear, but this fed the two of us. And we ate it all. Still, it was easy and tasty. Not a bad deal for a healthier take-out dinner.
And now, on this first day of spring, I wish you all sunshiny weekend full of friends, family, laughter, fresh air and hopefully a glass of wine. CHEERS!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
Sounds like a great, I’m sorry – a silly, day!
Brynn says
Laughing so hard at the comment about the tantrum in the car- so true!
emma @ be mom strong says
Hey, I just throw a bow in gENTRY’S hair and go! at least you attempted. I can’t wait until Sutton is old enough to ride in that car at the store, no matter how bulky it is!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
Haha I love this!!! (And I love that Hailey wanted to send you to a time out… that’s kind of hilarious and cute.) The girls are adorable! And those meals from Whole Foods sound like a good deal!
Sarah (SHU) says
I’m so late on this, but I wanted to say that I think you decision (and your very rational decision making process!) makes total sense. This “season” that we’re in is . . . UTTER MAYHEM. There will be a time when we can have cozy quiet time ALONGSIDE our kids but now is not that time. I think that corralling your blogging/work into specific periods absolutely makes sense – so much more effective to be your undiluted MOM-self or WRITER-self in each sphere. Totally get it. Sending <3. ALSO: I read very few blogs now but I still subscribe to yours 🙂 So there is something great (and relatable, and fun) in the content you put out in my opinion! I will keep reading no matter what your posting interval is.
Liv @ Healthy Liv says
The meal deal looks really yummy! I’d eat half of it, too :). How funny and cute (& possibly headache-inducing?) that Hailey wanted to send you to time-out!
Paulina says
I’m laughing so much at this :
“I said fixed, not styled. Still working on my skills.”
Ok I’ll finish reading the rest of the post now!! Happy FRIDAY!!
Lindsey @ Simply Lindsey says
We love the Whole Foods meal deals! We got one free when we first moved to the area, which was a lifesaver for the many nights we spent unpacking. TGIF!
Jessica says
Yeahhh pretty sure my husband would eat that all by himself, haha. Looks delicious though!
John J. says
That’s the only “police” I want following me! Good energetic blog. Has a lot of “sunshine” in it. See mine.
Amy @ Elephant Eats says
Hehe, I love that Hailey called it a silly morning 🙂 It’s really amazing how observant little ones are when it comes to routine and straying from it. Sounds like you’re off to a great start with your new outlook!!!
Char says
I love when they say cute things! I think a silly day sounds like a great way to have a day! I totally turn the music up when Nia’s giving me sass. I’m like okaaaay, my turn to have some enjoyment here haha.
That’s great about the WF dinner options. They always surprise me!
Ashley S. says
Let’s hear it for silly mornings! I love it. I was eyeing that meal at whole just yesterday. Totally doing that next week. Also, in the deli area there was a LINE of people waiting for the rotisserie chickens to come out in the morning. I will have to try that too. We are trying to eat out less and eat home more, which means I need to do some freezer meals and take some shortcuts for dinner every once in a while!
Maria Ferrucci says
what family of 4 would be fed by that meal? I would be lucky if my husband and I could both be satisfied by that! Glad to hear your new approach to work-life balance is bringing you some relief! Happy weekend!
Kathy says
Awesome fun day!!! Have a great weekend too!
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama says
I’m glad to hear that your first day went well. I’ve been working on letting go, too. My husband and I had a discussion (I’m not kidding here) about me letting go of some my OCDs, such as letting the dirty dishes pile up all day and letting him load them into the dishwasher and not vacuuming the house every other day (I’m not sure I’m ok with that one). My fingers are crossed for you that Hailey keeps sleeping in a few minutes past seven. OK, maybe half an hour past seven. 🙂
tiff @ love, sweat, & beers says
It sounds like a great morning, silly or not. 🙂
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
What a great day! Happy Spring!
Tiffany says
You deserve some applause for sticking to it! I am SO happy for you! Sending encouragement your way to keep focused on what you value the most. Way to go!
Sherri @ Adventures of Love and Marriage says
I always love the quick and easy “pick up” meals at Whole Foods or Fresh Market but I totally judge myself and our family’s eating habits when I see their meal that would feed a family of four. Most of the time my husband will eat 1 package all by himself (especially from the picture you posted). Talk about making us feel like we are over-eaters!
Julia @ LordStillLovesMe says
This post brought the biggest smile to my face. You deserve to feel happy as often as possible, and I genuinely love your honesty.
Jessica says
I didn’t comment on your previous post, but I wanted to stop in and say that I appreciate your honesty in your posts. I’ve been following your blog for about 2 years and I’ve seen the changes, but I LOVE them! I appreciate the real life posts!
I have also been struggling with trying to fit it all in and am coming up with a work plan and a ‘be present’ plan. I spend too much time on my dang phone checking on stuff that can wait and not watching my boys be their sweet silly selves. I feel like I’ve missed out on a lot in the past 6 months or so and a change needs to happen!
Julie says
Yeah… no way is that Whole Foods meal feeding 4 people! 3 would be a stretch! Still a good deal for 2 people, tho.
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
It sounds so nice that you’re unplugging more during the day! I’m sure you girls noticed a difference. Sometimes I worry that I’ll be glued to my phone when I have a kid. Sometimes I notice I have my eyes on my phone or computer screen too much when Ryder nudges me to play. I have to make a conscious decision to stop looking at it and give him attention.
By the way, that meal for 4 would have totally only fed David and I. I think they are crazy…that doesn’t feed 4!
Josephine says
Sounds like a great day. I spat my tea out laughing when I read about appreciating Hailey already being strapped down in the car for her tantrum!
Lisa O says
Hey Brittany, so great you’ve found new balance! I feel like it’s a constant see saw, trying to get my balance right between happy kids, happy husband, happy me (let alone friends, extended family, work!). It needs regular adjustment and good on you for being yet again so intuitive on what works and what doesn’t. My husband and I just had a big chat about where we see ourselves in 10 years time and exactly what a day in the life of us would look like. Knowing your working towards something together really helped us recognise what we want out of ourselves today to get there (ie we want to be super fit parents coaching our kids in sport, hubby working 4- day weeks, me writing part-time, sitting down to home cooked meal each night together etc). It just brought heaps of clarity for us both and excited about where we’re heading and how each day is special on that journey. Anyway, the odd visualisation helps me when the day to day exhausts me with my two wee ones and busy hubby, maybe it’s something you’d have fun doing if you haven’t already! Love your silly times and cracking up about your car tantrum, totally agree, if they have to have one it’s the place. Good luck striking the balance right, it’s a constant battle but one worth wagering for! Xx
Lauren Brennan says
Sounds like a perfect day. <3