Day In The Life: Spring 2017

Time for another Day In The Life post. Thanks to Julia at My Life in Transition for hosting.

The day I selected to document is Monday, April 10.

Andi and I are both 36 years old
Tory is 5 years, 7 months old
Aden is 3 years, 4 months
Chloe (the dog) is 12 years old

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4:59am: I wake up to the faint sound of Aden crying in his bedroom. Sound familiar? If it feels like most of my Day In The Life posts start this way, it's because they do. This morning, Aden's early morning wake-up is precisely one minute before my Fitbit alarm is set to vibrate on my wrist. Sigh, I suppose it's time to get up anyway.

As I fumble downstairs in the dark to retrieve Aden, I recall the dream I was in the middle of and it makes me LOL: I was carrying a black collapsible cooler bag with a built-in sewing machine. I have no idea why I'd need such a thing, and I guess it'll remain one of life's mysteries ...

5:05am: Andi's awake now, so the three of us snuggle together in our bed for a few minutes. Limbs are draped over one another as Aden's lovingly strokes my chest. Ten seconds later, he requests milk and an applesauce pouch - aaaand, the moment of sweetness has passed. Happy Monday!

5:10am: I get up and retrieve Aden's milk and applesauce from the kitchen while Andi lays with Aden and starts Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV. I let Chloe outside to potty and I pull on my workout clothes that I'd laid out the night before on the desk. Slam my pre-workout drink and head to the basement to push play.

 

Loving the new Lululemon razorback tank I bought with my birthday gift card!

5:30am: Downstairs, I toss Ken and some Barbie cars toward the doll house, and give myself a quick motivation pep-talk. "You have the power and the passion to achieve anything," I tell myself. Last week, I started a new workout program called Insanity Max:30 and I know today's Cardio Challenge is going to be tough, but I also know it's worth it to push outside my comfort zone. I can do this!

5:50am: Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aden coming down the stairs and he looks unhappy. I realize Andi must've left for work, so I pull out an earbud and ask Aden what he needs. "Wahhhh!" is basically the response he gives. The point of Insanity Max:30 is to push yourself to your limit -- don't stop until you can't possibly go another second -- and that's your "max-out" time. Aden could care less about my ability to keep going because he's rolling around at my feet, trying to grab my legs as I'm jumping up and down. Bah! I finally stop and ask him what he needs in a breathless, not-so-sweet voice. I pause my workout, carry Aden back upstairs, and get him set-up with another show in my bedroom. Then, I hurry back downstairs and finish the last 10 minutes of my workout.

6:30am: Workout's done, and I take a few minutes to check in with my fitness accountability group and log my meal plan for the day.

6:45am: I make myself Shakeology in the blender - today I'm having Chocolate with frozen spinach and raspberries - and wrap up some homemade granola bars I made last night while my shake blends. Here's a tip: I portion one cup of spinach into snack-size baggies for my shakes. After I've used one, I put the empty baggie back in freezer and refill them every Sunday for the week ahead. Easy way to sneak some veggies into my day!

7:00am: Hop in the shower with my shake in hand (Monday morning multi-tasking at its finest!) while Aden plays with a cup in the bathroom sink. I get out of the shower, get dressed and help Aden go the bathroom and brush his teeth. I always want to remember these fuzzy Mickey Mouse jammies Aden wears to bed almost every night.

7:20am: I ask Aden to go downstairs to wake up Tory, and he runs off. Meanwhile, I finish getting myself dressed and then go to the kitchen to start breakfast for the kids.

7:35am: I realize Aden never came back upstairs with Tory, so I go downstairs myself to see what they're doing. Both Tory and Aden are playing in her bedroom and I urge her to get dressed quickly. For the first time in his life, Aden decides to have an opinion about his clothes. He picks a red waffle tee and blue corduroys.

7:50am: The kids will have to eat breakfast in the car this morning because we're going to be late. I brush Tory's hair and teeth, and rush them both to put on their socks and shoes. Like usual, Aden decides running away from me is a better idea. I finally back him into a corner and carry him to the door while he cackles with laughter. "Wait! I made this for you yesterday," Tory says, pulling cloud art from her backpack.

8:05am: On our way to school, phew! We're not running too far behind, thankfully. "Can we go there in a few days?" Aden points to a random building as we drive by.

8:20am: We pull into the parking lot at Tory's school, and I help the kids get their coats on before we exit the car. Tory's still eating her granola bar as we wait in the lobby for her teacher to greet us. It's complete chaos as parents and kids rush into the school, others wait in the lobby with our group, and a pile of children's items for sale take up precious real estate standing space on the carpet. "Good-bye Tory! Have good day!" Aden shouts to Tory as she eventually walks off with her teacher and we head back to our car.

8:45am: Every Monday morning, Aden and I drive to a local gym to pick up the fresh-prepared meals we purchase for dinners each week. As we pull into the parking lot today, Aden shouts "I have to go potty!" with panic in his voice. The gym where we pick up the meals is in the same parking lot as Andi's office, so I go there instead to take Aden to the bathroom. I'm sure the small gym has a bathroom somewhere, but it's a battle keeping Aden off the workout machines the way it is without leading his little wrecking-ball body throughout the entire place.

I remind Aden we aren't there to see Daddy - we're just stopping to go to the bathroom and leaving. "Please I have red chips, too? OK!" Aden says excitedly. Favorite part about visiting Daddy's office, for sure. (Sorry Andi) I feel some Mom Guilt about letting Aden eat Doritos at 9:00am, but saying 'no' would lead to an epic meltdown I don't feel like tackling this morning. 

9:00am: When we walk in the front door, Aden beelines straight to the kitchen so I give him a friendly reminder about using the bathroom. "Oh, yeah!" he says with a laugh. This new potty training a boy experience has me up-close-and-personal with toilet lids and I have to say -- ewww. 

9:15am: We make a quick pit-stop by the kitchen to grab a bag of "red chips" and walk down the hallway to Andi's office, but the door is closed. I decide not to knock since Andi wasn't expecting us and I don't want to interrupt, so I usher Aden toward the door and we leave.

Across the parking lot, I run into the gym to grab my pre-made Paleo meals. On the menu this week is: pineapple ham, chicken alfredo, and chicken and cauliflower hash. They could very well serve dog food and I'd probably eat it because that meal service is just so darn easy.

9:30am: Back at home, I unload the dishwasher and throw in a load of laundry. Andi texts me and asks me to stuff some paper towels in his wet tennis shoes laying out to dry on the patio, so I do as he requests.

10:45am: After my morning chores are done, it's snack time. Today I'm having apple cinnamon quinoa with almonds which I'm really digging lately. I measure 1/2 cup cooked quinoa in a bowl, sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon on top, and warm it up for a minute in the microwave. Meanwhile, I chop up an apple and share some with Aden who's standing beside me on a chair. I add the remainder of the chopped apple to the warmed quinoa and sprinkle sliced almonds on top. YUM!

9:53am: This is my favorite part of the morning. I sit down for a minute at my desk in the kitchen to work on my computer and eat my quinoa. My legs are exhausted and it's only 10 o'clock in the morning. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Aden is quietly sitting at the table watching Daniel Tiger and eating apple slices.

10:15am: Aden uses the bathroom and I grin over his little boy underwear. I can't get over it! So cute. Then he dribbles a little on the floor and the moment of "cute" has passed. #momlife I clean up the mess in the bathroom and decide to keep mopping the rest of the floor while I'm at it. Aden asks to help sweep so he follows me around through the kitchen and hallway.

10:30am: I get a text from the condo handyman saying he'll be working in our place with a HVAC contractor at 11:00am, so I decide last-minute to take the kids to an indoor play park after we pick up Tory from school. I open the fridge door and toss some food into a cooler bag for kid lunches. My Fitbit alarm buzzes on my wrist to remind me it's time to get Tory so I put the dog in her kennel, chase Aden around the condo trying to get his shoes on, and we leave for preschool in a rush.

10:55am: I pull into the preschool parking lot just in time. Tory gets snappy when we're late picking her up, so I jog into the building carrying Aden in my arms.

Tory and Aden pile into the car. I ask Tory to guess where we're heading and Aden shouts, "Bouncy pillow!" before she can respond. InnerActive has an indoor playground structure, blocks, ball court, and a huge jumping pillow. My kids love it. It takes us about 20 minutes to drive there.

11:30am: It's getting colder outside - brrr! We hustle into the building and the kids bee-line to the pillow area. Fortunately, it isn't very busy which is a nice change. There's plenty of room to jump and tumble without kid collisions.

 

12:30pm: The kids run zig zags between the sport court, climbing structure, blocks and jumping pillow. Eventually Aden says he's hungry, so I grab our cooler bag and find a spot at one of the open tables. I grabbed Lunchables in my rush out the door this morning, but I'm fairly sure Aden won't eat it. He's allergic to cheese and generally refuses crackers and lunch meat, but it was a fast and I was in a hurry this morning. As expected, he turns his nose up to my food offering. I fish out a granola bar from my purse, he takes a few bites and runs off to play.

1:00pm: Tory stops to eat, and scarfs down both Lunchables. Tory is a total "kid food" lover -- she'll eat anything PB+J flavored or that comes in a squeeze tube. Aden, on the other hand, is my meat and veggies boy.

1:30pm: The kids are jumping on the inflatable pillow when Aden falls and hurts his foot. He starts crying and just as I go to retrieve him, I hear Tory crying from the other side. Now she's fallen and says she hurt her leg. A mother nearby seems concerned by Tory's wails, but I know from the sound she's not really hurt. "Time to go," I say to the kids and carry them both to the entrance area to find our coats and shoes. The concerned mother follows us in her concern for Tory, and I again reassure her Tory's fine. The lady tries to make Tory laugh, and Tory stifles her grin. She's hurt, remember? Gotta be sad.

1:45pm: Tory says she can't walk on her leg, but I encourage her to do so anyway. She walks normally for a few steps until she remembers she's hurt and then hops on one foot in a dramatic display of discomfort. By the time we reach our car in the parking lot, Tory is completely fine. I'm really not trying to be mean; I know she's not hurt and I can't carry both her and Aden out of there. Carrying Aden is a necessity because I can't trust him to stay close to me in the parking lot, so I need Tory to tough it out. Thankfully, she does.

As we're leaving, I see a text message from the handyman saying the HVAC contractor is just now on his way. Oy. The whole point of going to the play place was to avoid the construction work. Oh well, the kids had fun.

2:00pm: Tory, Aden and I arrive home and I immediately set in on making my lunch because I'm starving by this point! I defrost some shrimp and saute them in a skillet on the stove top with zucchini noodles and spinach pesto. While I'm making my food, I bake some chicken nuggets for the kids to eat either now (because Aden didn't eat much for lunch) or for dinner tonight.

Of course, Tory says she's not hungry and runs downstairs to play in her room. Aden and I sit down at the table and play a game of tick-tac-toe while I eat my lunch. Aden's never played tick-tac-toe before, so I'm teaching him as we go and proud that he picks up on it pretty quickly! I snap a picture of him playing, and smile when I see his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Classic Aden, always paired with his devilish grin.

The HVAC guy leaves while we're playing at the table, and Eric the handyman says he'll be back in a few days to repair the drywall. It's always something here ...

2:30pm: Aden says he's tired and asks to lay in my bed to watch Blaze and the Monster Machines. He doesn't nap anymore, but he's also been awake since 5:00am so I'm sure he's tired.

2:45pm: Tory comes back upstairs and asks to watch Mia and Me. She's been playing downstairs so quietly, so I agree. I can use some quiet time, too. Something funny about Tory at this age is how she always wears her pants with one leg up - always. She says she's "hot" and apparently this helps regulate her body temperature. Or, maybe it's the latest fashion statement.

I turn on the cartoon for Tory in the living room and swipe a Shakeology peanut butter cup from the freezer. These little nuggets are my saving grace for satisfying a chocolate craving.

3:00pm: It's pretty quiet in my bedroom, so I got to investigate. I find Aden asleep in my bed. That's what happens when you wake up so early! Tory and I take advantage of the one-on-one time and play a few rounds of tick-tac-toe. We move to the sofa and I start typing up this post while she builds Legos beside me. I love watching her concentrate so intently on these, and I'm amazed by how well she follows the directions on her own. Eventually, we play with the Legos creations she's built.

4:00pm: Time to wake the gremlin or he'll never sleep tonight. I get up to get Aden, but Tory begs to wake him for me. She runs into my room and I hear her say, "Aden, it's time to wake up!" in the sweetest sisterly voice. Tory and I play a sight word / opposites puzzle until Aden joins us in the living room. Then, the three of us wrestle around the living room floor. It's one of those "pinch me, I love this life" moments. 

6:00pm: Andi walks in the back door and the kids rush down the hallway to greet him. Tory always helps take off his shoes (I have no idea why) so she bends down right away and unlaces Andi's boots. Aden yells, "Daddy's home! Yay!"

6:30am: Tory and I continue to work on sight words in the living room while Andi starts dinner. Sounds about right - he's gone at work all day, comes home and cooks dinner for us. In reality, it's not too hard to warm up an Origin meal on the stove; not much "cooking" required. While the food cooks, Tory proudly shows Andi how she can read the words on the card game we played earlier.

Andi sits down to dinner at the table and I ask if he made the kids anything. He gives me a puzzled look, so I quickly chop some chicken, green beans and strawberries for the kids. We all sit down to dinner and both Tory and Aden are fighting over who gets to sit on my lap. I traveled to Nebraska over the weekend by myself, so the kids are still missing me. It makes me smile.

I planned to have ham with green beans and sweet potatoes tonight, but Andi wasn't pleased with his chicken and cauliflower hash so we switch.

7:00pm: I get the kids' pajamas on downstairs while Andi takes a quick shower. Tory is wearing a new pair of size 6 pajamas which blows my mind. When in the world did my little girl grow so big?

Andi and Tory peel off to her bedroom to read a Fancy Nancy chapter book while I read Pete the Cat to Aden in his room. Aden is tired so I keep it short and sweet. Andi is still reading to Tory when I'm finished with Aden so I go upstairs to clean up before bed. I find a note stuck to the side of the counter from Tory. She's drawn a heart and written our family's names all around it. What a sweetie.

 

I lay out my workout clothes for tomorrow morning on the desk, wash my face and put on my pajamas. Yes, it's 7:15pm and I'm heading to bed. I'm still in the habit of early nights all the way back from my years of kid up-all-nights.

7:30pm: Andi and I crawl into bed together and turn on Alaskan Bush People on Hulu. I have no idea how we got hooked on this show, but we've binged on an entire season this week. It's like a train wreck! We can't stop watching. While we watch TV, I check in with my fitness group on Facebook and read through their messages from the day.

8:45pm: Andi turns the television off; we've got to go to sleep. Five o'clock in the morning comes early. I read a page from my daily devotional, Savor by Shauna Niequist before I turn off the lamp on the side table.

Another day in this messy, fun, not-always-perfect life I love.

Two Methods for Hard Boiling Eggs

It's almost Easter and that means it's time to boil a LOT of eggs for coloring. Even when it's not Easter, we eat a lot of hard boiled eggs in our house so I make a batch almost every week.

I wanted to share two non-traditional ways to hard boil eggs - in the Instant Pot and in the oven. Here's how I do it:

INSTANT POT METHOD

Ingredients:
Eggs (however many you like - I typically do 8)
1 cup water

Directions:
1. Plug in the Instant Pot.
2. Place the stainless steel rack that comes with the IP into the bottom of the bowl.
3. Pour one cup of water in the bottom and place desired number of eggs on the rack.
4. Lock the Instant Pot lid in place. Turn the IP on by pressing the MANUAL button. Use the [+] or [-] to set the cooking time to 8 minutes.
5. Let the Instant Pot come up to pressure. It will automatically count down from 8 minutes and beep when it's finished.
6. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath for the eggs (large bowl of ice water).
7. Quick release the pressure from the IP when the timer sounds.
8. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the ice bath and cool before peeling / coloring / eating.

Or ...

OVEN METHOD

Hard boil eggs in the oven. This is the method I repeatedly used until I had an Instant Pot. It's simple, fool-proof, and the only equipment you need is a muffin tin (and the oven, of course).

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place eggs in the "holes" of a muffin pan (you could use a regular 12 "hole" muffin pan or a mini muffin man with 24 holes).
3. Bake for 30 minutes.
4. Immediately place eggs in an ice bath until they are cool to the touch.

It seems like everyone makes their hard boiled eggs just a bit differently than the next person. How do you make yours? Comment below.  

Signs You're A 21 Day Fix-er

I've been following the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan for almost two years now, and it's changed my relationship with food and exercise for the better. I've learned to appreciate food and the way it makes me feel. It's also pushed me outside my comfort zone physically, turning someone who never worked out a day in her life into someone who looks forward to exercising every single day. Pretty incredible when you think about it!

There are some things only 21 Day Fix-ers understand and if you've been following this program for any length of time, you'll know exactly what I mean ...

YOU SEE FOOD IN COLORS
Follow the 21 Day Fix Eating Plan for any length of time, and food is no longer seen in the color of its outer skin. Apples are "purple" and cottage cheese is "red" -- it takes the phrase "eat the rainbow" to a whole new level.

STAIRS ARE THE ENEMY
I can spot a fellow 21 Day Fix-er after Leg Day - easy peasy. We're the ones crawling up the stairs thanks to all those 10-second holds.

DISCOVERING A NON-YELLOW TREAT IS LIKE FINDING GOLD
Why must everything wonderful be classified as a carb? That's the world we're living in! The great thing about the 21 Day Fix program is that I can still enjoy all my favorite treats in moderation, but when I find something that's equally delicious and doesn't use a precious yellow container? Score!

BLUE CONTAINER: DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Only one blue container (healthy fat) a day forces me to make some tough life choices. Avocado? Cheese? Almonds? Ugh. The struggle is real.

BANANA REBEL
Alert the authorities: sometimes, I eat more than half of a banana. Most days, I cut my banana in two and stashing the other half in the freezer for a later use. Though, on occasion, I have been known to steal a bite of that other half.

PEANUT BUTTER SHAME
Anyone else find themselves staring down the mouth of a peanut butter jar with spoon in hand? Asking for a friend ...

60 SECONDS CAN FEEL LIKE AN ETERNITY
I find myself applying Autumn Calabrese's famous words of encouragement "You can do anything for a minute!" to other areas of my life; such as, unloading grocery bags from the car and carrying my son's metal trike home from the park.

I'VE GOT A GIRL CRUSH
Who doesn't think Autumn is the greatest thing since sliced bread? Her workouts and healthy eating plan have changed my life for the better, and I'll always be appreciative.

If you're curious about the 21 Day Fix workouts, eating plan or Coaching opportunity, I'd love to chat. Message me anytime at hcdickson@yahoo.com 

Valentine's Day Chocolate Superfood Bites

I'm always on the hunt for healthy sweets and treats I can feel good about eating and with Valentine's Day around the corner, I thought I'd share one of my favorite indulgences -- chocolate superfood bites.

One of the first things new fitness challengers usually say to me is, "I have a sweet tooth, so I need to find a solution for that." The awesome thing about the 21 Day Fix / Portion Fix Eating Plan is that you can still have chocolate, cookies and muffins - you just have to plan for them! Also, it's important they're made with the cleanest ingredients possible and these chocolate superfood bites fit the bill.

These treats taste sinfully delicious and satisfy that craving for chocolate we all get sometimes. They're also easy to make and look so fancy! Here's how to make them:

Start by assembling your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruits. You don’t need much in quantity for this recipe, so hit up the bulk food section of the grocery store or scour your pantry to gather ingredients. I used pistachios, cranberries, dried blueberries, slivered almonds and unsweetened coconut flakes. For the chocolate, I used a bar of Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate (look for chocolate with 70% cacao or higher).

Heat chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power in 1 minute increments until melted. Then spoon melted chocolate onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and immediately top with chopped nuts and dried fruit. Pop the tray in the refrigerator when you’ve finished to let the chocolate harden. Store leftover chocolate superfood bites in the refrigerator.

How sweet would it be to receive these handmade chocolates for Valentine’s Day?

Recipe adapted from the Beachbody Blog

My Latest Obession: Maple Granola

My latest carb obsession is maple granola. O-M-G, I am in love with this stuff!

For the past few months, I've been in the habit of making homemade granola to sprinkle on top of Greek yogurt parfaits. It adds the perfect amount of sweet and crunch to breakfast in the morning, or my afternoon snack. The other day, I added a sprinkle of granola to the top of my peanut butter Greek yogurt dip, and WOW. So good!

Here's the recipe:

Clean Eating Maple Granola
4 Tbsp. granola = 1 yellow container on 21 Day Fix Eating Plan

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup coconut oil (I used virgin, unrefined)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
2. In a large bowl, mix together granola ingredients and stir to coat.
3. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, stirring once, 30-35 minutes.
4. Let cool. Store in an air-tight container.

Tip: For fast yogurt parfaits, assemble the yogurt and fruit of your choice in a resusable food storage container or mason jar with lid and store in the refrigerator. Top with granola just before eating.

Day In The Life: Winter 2017

Day In The Life time again! Thanks to Julia at My Life In Transition for hosting. This quarter, I documented Monday, January 9, 2017.

Andi is 36 years old
Heather is 35 years old
Tory is 5 years, 4 months
Aden is 3 years, 1 month
Chloe (the dog) is living with my parents right now!

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1:37am: I wake to hear Aden crying from his downstairs bedroom. "Mommy! Can you help me? MOMMY!" in a desperate, pleading voice. I don't need to go down there to know he's sitting behind his closed bedroom door, crying. We're in the middle of sleep training (again) as he's had a rough bout of sleep lately. Night terrors led to too many times sleeping in Mom and Dad's bed which have led to one little who boy who'd prefer not to sleep in his own now. No one ever tell new parents that sleep training is an on-going thing.

2:00am: Ten or fifteen minutes pass, and Aden is quiet now. Eventually, I drift back to sleep myself.

5:02am: In a daze, I notice Andi wake up for the day. I listen to him pack his gym bag and fumble around in the kitchen as I doze in and out of consiousness.

6:08am: Crap! I overslept. Andi is my human alarm clock and I usually get up to workout after he's left for the gym. Not that I don't set my own alarm clock - I do - but I'm so used to my Fitbit alarm buzzing on my wrist, I barely notice it anymore. I hop out of bed and pull on some comfy clothes. I remember today is my first day of a 3-Day Refresh, so I plan to do a lighter workout. Hopefully I won't get too sweaty and can skip a morning shower.

I walk down the stairs and set up my laptop to play the workout video. As I do, I can see Aden's bedroom light turned on from the crack under his door. Poor buddy. He must've fallen asleep with it on last night. I quietly turn the handle to open the door, but it won't budge. I see a sliver of his pajamas through the crack in the door and a sleeping three-year-old on the other side. Ugh, my mama heartstrings are pulled tight. Tough love, man. It's not easy! 

6:15am: I decide to let him sleep. I push play on Country Heat: Rope and Ride which is one of my favorite low-impact workouts. I guess I secretly love to dance, at least when no one's watching, and bopping around to fun music in the morning puts me in a great mood.

6:43am: I workout right outside the kids' bedroom doors, so I wear cordless earbuds and try my best to be quiet in the mornings. Some days, Tory or Aden will wake up and lay on the floor beside me; other days, I can get in a 30-minute workout before they wake up. Today, they're both still sleeping, so I tip-toe upstairs when I'm finished to wash up for the day.

Workout is done and I've clocked 3,500 steps - wahoo! A few of the girls in my fitness group are participating in a weekly Fitbit step challenge, so I'm glad to have a leg up first-thing Monday morning.

I text Andi a picture of Aden sleeping behind his door. "Tough love," he responds. He's definitely the tougher parent between the two of us; I'm such a push-over (which is probably why we're sleep training Aden again in the first place).

7:00am: I couldn't shower upstairs this morning if I wanted to because our condo building is in the process of re-caulking the showers. The inside tile needs to stay dry for two days before they complete the work and two days afterward, which is a bit of a pain. Always something around here! Last night, I put a sticky note on the shower door to remind Andi and Tory not to turn on the water. The last thing I want is for the shower walls to get wet and to wait another few days to finish the project.

7:10am: I hear Aden's footsteps down the upstairs hallway. He enters my bedroom and seems happy this morning, despite the middle-of-the-night wake-up. There's a carpet imprint on his left cheek. "Please I watch show and drink milkie?" he asks politely. I give him a squeeze and tuck him into my bed sheets. Then, I go to the kitchen to retrieve him a sippy cup of soy milk and an applesauce pouch.

When I return, Aden's looking at our leftover Christmas card. "There's my Tory Bean! Oh, and there's my Dad!" he says. "Please I eat ice cream like Tory?" (There's a picture of Tory eating an ice cream cone on the Christmas card.) I turn Mickey Mouse on the T.V. for Aden, and finish getting myself dressed.

 

Do you ever have a favorite shirt in constant rotation? This Columbia sweatshirt is it for me right now, I have no idea why. I probably wear it (clean and washed) three times a week.

  
7:20am: I turn on the Today Show in the living room to steal a few minutes of grown-up T.V. time before Tory wakes up. As the news plays in the background, I start making breakfast for the kids and I. Tory comes up the stairs shortly afterwards. "Morning, Mom!" she says cheerfully. She climbs into her seat at the table and immediately begins crafting a picture for her pre-K teacher, Ms. Jessica.

7:30am: Breakfast: Tory requests a strawberry toaster strudel and pear slices, and Aden has Cheerios, sausage links and pears. As dictated by the 3-Day Refresh program guide, I make myself a Strawberry Shakeology for breakfast and eat one serving of fruit (my choice - apple slices with cinnamon).

 

7:45am: My Fitbit buzzes on my wrist reminding me to hit the auto-start button on my key chain to warm up my car. We'll need to leave the house in 15 minutes to take Tory to preschool. The kids finish their breakfasts, then I clean up the dishes and load them in the dishwasher. When I'm done, I run downstairs to pick out the kids' clothes for the day while they're both laying on the sofa watching Ready, Set, JET on television.

I set out their clothes and encourage Tory to get herself dressed for school. I'm trying to teach her more independence, and she's begrudgingly going along with it. She approaches me in the kitchen with her arms in the air and her pajama shirt stuck on her head. "A little help here!" she exclaims. 

I help Tory finish getting dressed, and I also put Aden's clothes on him for the day. I tell the kids to brush their teeth in the bathroom and Tory does so on her own. Aden tries to brush his teeth first, and I follow up afterward with another scrub.

8:00am: Time for school! It's like herding cats down the hallway, and I've always got a handful of trash and recycling to take out as well. I nudge Tory toward the back door, and ask her to pull on her shoes and coat. She does. Aden is plopped on the floor in front of a display of Christmas cards in the living room. "We've got to go, Buddy!" I tell him as I physically pick him up and carry him to the back door.

8:10am: We load into the car, and Tory's upset I yelled for her to buckle her seat belt. If yelling constitutes the spoken words "buckles, Tory" I'd hate to see how she reacts when I'm really mad.

All four of these drinks are for me as I drop Tory at school and run errands this morning: water, Shakeology, green tea and a Fiber Sweep beverage I need to drink mid-morning as part of the 3-Day Refresh. In addition to the kids, backpacks, trash, recycling, etc. - this might be part of the problem in juggling to get out the door in the mornings. Hey! I like to stay hydrated, what can I say?

8:20am: I pull into my usual parking spot at Tory's school and spend the next few minutes turned around in my seat, work to dress Aden and Tory in their winter coats, hats and mittens. The three of us walk into school together. The kids are both so excited to be here, I half-jog to keep up with them as they run into the building. 

 

8:25am: Tory, Aden and I wait for her teacher to greet the students gathered in the front lobby for class. While we wait, I snap a picture of Tory and school friend, Ryan, because they look so cute together. The girls look so much alike it's uncanny with their similarly-colored hair, height and "ear mugs" (ear muffs) as Tory calls them.

Ms. Jessica, Tory's teacher, walks down the stairway to greet us in the lobby below, and greets the children lined up alongside the wall. "Are you ready to go, Tor-," she asks, Tory who's standing next to me. Tory shakes her head no. "No?!" her teacher says, surprised. Tory absolutely loves school and her teacher knows it, so I think she's a bit confused. "I want to take a picture with you," Tory says. Tory and I are planning to decorate a picture frame of Tory and her teacher for a Valentine's Day present. "Well, of course!" Ms. Jessica says, and gives Tory a big squeeze. I quickly snap their picture as it's chaotic in the lobby area with parents and kids rushing by, then Tory joins her classmates standing along the wall.  

8:35am: Aden and I walk back to our car in the parking lot, and I chat with Ryan's mom on the way. Aden asks to sit on "Tory's side" (in her car seat) as he does every morning when Tory's away at school. Fortunately, the have the same car seats so it doesn't matter. 

I sit in the parked car for a few minutes and post a picture to Instagram of Aden brushing his teeth this morning. Aden is contently sitting in the back seat playing with Tory's iPad. 

8:45am: First errand of the morning is to deliver Andi's breakfast and lunch to his office. Coincidently, we visited Andi's office the last time I wrote about "a day in our life" this past fall, but this isn't a usual occurance. "Where we go first, Mom?" Aden asks, and thinks it's hilarious when I tell him Andi forgot his food at home today. "Oh, Daddy forgot his eggs?" [laughs] "Oh, Daddy need us bring him?" [more giggles] I always want to remember the way Aden says "Oh, ..." at the beginning of every sentence. It makes me smile every time.

8:50am: Andi's office is about a mile away, and takes us five minutes to drive there. I park my car in front of the building, and unbuckle Aden from his seat. The weather is surprisingly warm this morning (19 degrees!) which feels like a heat wave compared to the frigid temps we've had the last few weeks. I pull on Aden's coat and hat, but skip the mittens. He runs up the long ramp to the front door.

Confidently, Aden walks into the front door of Andi's office confidently and waves hello to the gal sitting at the front desk. He spots a Polaris Rzr on display in the lobby area, and bee-lines over to it to get a closer look. "Oh, wow! Look at Daddy's Ranger ride!" Aden exclaims. Andi walks down the hallway to greet

9:00am: I say hello to Andi and hand him his food. The three of us walk to the kitchen so Andi can put the food in the refrigerator, and say hi to a few people there filling their morning coffee cups. Aden knows exactly where the snacks are in the office kitchen, and begins pulling open drawers to find mini bags of red Doritos. "Please I have some chips?" he pleads. "Sure, I tell him." Who doesn't eat chips for breakfast?

Aden and I follow Andi into the shop area of the office, so Andi can show Aden the tools. Andi and I chat a minute about a new laser-cut machine they got, as red-faced Aden runs around eating his bag of Doritos. A few minutes later, Aden and I say good-bye to Andi and leave the office.

 

9:15am: Next stop is across the parking lot from Andi's office to pick up our Origin Meals for the week. We've been buying fresh-prepared dinners from this service for over a year now and it's saved my sanity in the evenings - so worth it! Inside the gym where I pick up the meals, Aden says hello to all the personal trainers. I move quickly to load the dinners into my cooler bag; Aden's already climbing onto a treadmill in the seconds it takes me to do so.

I herd Aden out the front door of the gym, and buckle him back into Tory's car seat. That's the fourth time I've wrestled him into his seat buckles this morning, if you're keeping count. Phew!

9:30am: I drive to Trader Joe's down the street to grab a few items for the week - yogurt cups, applesauce packets, some bulk nuts and dried fruit to make a trail mix later this afternoon. On the way there, Aden kicks off his winter boots and removes the socks from his feet. When I unbuckle Aden in the parking lot, he refuses to put his shoes back on. "No! I want to wear bug shoes!" he proclaims. Shamefully, he's discovered a pair of Tory's Crocs from this summer stuffed under the seat in my car. Whatever. I let him wear them. Is every mom's car a hot mess like mine? I swear I clean it out, but somehow it's always a disaster. 

 

Aden's "bug shoes" are a big hit with the Trader Joe's staff. "I like your fancy shoes," says the lady running the sample counter in the back of the store. I aim to defend myself for allowing my son to wear Crocs with no socks in the winter, but she doesn't seem bothered by it.

9:45am: I stop by Home Goods to buy a blanket for Aden's bed. The store just opened, so there's no one inside; perfect so I can get in and out with my wild man. I have to use the restroom first (remember? four beverages this morning) so I chase Aden to the back of the store to find the bathrooms. He won't follow me into the stall, so I listen to him banging around the bathroom on the other side of the partion. Then he enters the stall next to me, and locks the door behind him. "Come on out, Aden, turn the lock again," I urge him. "I can't! It's stuck!" he responds. Oh, great. Just as I'm about to crawl underneath the half-wall, he pops his head underneath the door. I feel guilty leaving the stall locked, but I don't want to crawl on the bathroom floor.

We find a twin-size blanket for Aden's bed in a heavily picked-over Home Goods, and pay for it at the check-out counter. In true Aden fashion, he darts away from me toward the automatic doors as I'm paying for the purchase. That kid! I'm clearly pushing my limits for number of errands this morning. 

As I carry Aden to the car through the store parking lot, I notice he pooped his diaper. I check my purse for wipes once we get to the car, but discover I don't have any. Shoot! I still have one more errand to run before we pick up Tory from school, so I decide to stop at the gas station across the street to buy wipes vs. driving all the way home. 

10:15am: I pull up to the front of Holiday gas station, and unload Aden from the car for the 7th time this morning. He's in full-on crazy Aden mode now, ripping through the gas station like a Tazmanian devil. I grab a pack of wipes off the shelf and pick him up with my other arm. In transit to the register, he grabs an ice scraper from a display bucket. The gas station cashier is chatting with a customer foreeeeever about something or another. Meanwhile, we're standing behind the other customer and Aden is flopping like a fish to break free from my grasp. HELLO!!!! I silently scream at the worker with my crazy mom eyes, but she doesn't catch my vibe. Eventually, she acknowledges us and asks if we have fuel today. "Just this," I tell her. "The scraper, too?" she asks, and I notice it's still clenched in Aden's fist. "No, thank you," I respond as I pry it out of his little fingers.

10:30am: I want to squeeze in one more errand before we pick up Tory from school. Aden and I drive to the school district administration office to drop off Tory's application for the Spanish Immersion school lottery. The anticipation of kindergarten this fall has me a ball of nerves, so I want to check this to-do off my list right away. 

Aden and I find the building, and park our car in front. I grab a diaper, the pack of wipes, the application form and unbuckle Aden from his seat. The building is locked and a note on the door says the buzzer is broken. Hmmm. Luckily, a delivery driver walks out of the building and lets us inside. An administration office worker immediately greets us, and says she can take application for me. I forgot to ask where the restrooms are so I can change Aden.    

10:45am: I decide to change Aden's diaper in the cargo area of my SUV which is not ideal since it's wintertime. I rush to change his diaper while he rolls away from me trying to reach a kid's umbrella laying back there. Back in the car now; seat belts buckled. 

10:50am: I drive the car down the street to Tory's school. Aden and I walk inside to wait for her to come down to the lobby with her classmates. Tory is full of energy and excitement, and happily embraces Aden in warm hug. The three of us walk out to the parking lot together. 

11:00am: I decide to take the kids to the library before lunchtime. Tory discovers a paperclip on the ground as we're walking into the building, and proudly shows it to me. Then, she stuffs the treasure into her coat pocket for safe keeping. 

We play inside the library's kids area for an hour. There's a grocery store setup for dramatic play, and Aden busily zooms the plastic cart through the aisles of books. He stops for a few minutes to read with me on the sofa and builds blocks, too. 

Tory plays with magnets on a board with another little boy for a long time, then moves on to the blocks table with Aden.

11:45am: While the kids play, I find a few Valentine's Day books to take home. I let the kids scan the books on the check-out machine, and we leave the library. Outside, it's beginning to snow. Tory and Aden both instinctively stick their tongues out to catch the falling snowflakes in their mouths. I'm thankful I have my big camera with me today to capture the moment. 

Back in the car, I post the photo of Aden on Instagram, then we set off for home. 

Noon: I pull into our condo garage and unbuckle the kids from their car seats. I'm doing my best to control my frustration as the kids dilly-dally around in the car, and I've got my arms full of backpacks, coats, grocery bags, etc. The garage in our condo building isn't like a regular house in that the door to the building lobby automatically locks; I can't leave the kids in the garage until they eventually find their way inside.  

12:15pm: I unpack groceries and start lunch for the kids and I. Tory wants grilled cheese and tomato soup; I make Aden buttered noodles and apple slices. Kind of random, but he likes all those foods.

 

12:30pm: The kids eat their lunches and watch Thomas the Train on PBS, and I sit at the computer desk in the kitchen and have my 3-Day Refresh lunch: cauliflower rice tabbouleh and a Vanilla Fresh shake. I can't say this is what I'd choose for lunch had it not be for the Vegan diet I'm following today, but it tastes surprisingly fresh and delicious. Or, maybe I'm just hungry! I use the 30-minutes of lunch time to catch up on emails and check in with my fitness accountability group. Aden doesn't nap anymore, so this is really the only (semi) uninterrupted kid time I have all day.

1:15pm: My little artist sets in on making cards and pictures for her teacher and friends at school, as she does every afternoon. We fly through reams of paper every month, but I don't mind; I think it's sweet Tory loves her teacher and classmates so much. Typically she sits at the kitchen table to work on her drawings, but today she's chosen a spot right in front of the refrigerator which makes cleaning up lunch a bit more challenging. I step around her to clear off the table and load the dishwasher.

1:30pm: It's snowing steadily now and I watch the big, white flakes fall outside the window. I enjoy being a stay-at-home-mom for all the obvious reasons, but I'm especially thankful on afternoons like this where I'm safe and snug in my cozy home versus being stuck in traffic on the highway somewhere.

This big kitchen window is one of my favorite features of our condo.

1:45pm: After I finish cleaning up, I grab my computer and go downstairs to print thank-you notes for Christmas presents. This task has been on my to-do list for weeks, and I'm finally getting around to it before it's too late. I want Tory to help me write thank you's this year, and find a few free templates on Pinterest to use.

Upstairs, I cut the cards to size and write out a list of names for Tory to copy. One by one, she writes the names of all the card recipients, and also signs her and Aden's names at the bottom. Then, I fill in the body of each card, thanking the person for their gift. I am so proud of Tory for completing this task from start to finish! It takes her about 1 1/2 hours to do it, and she never complains. 

 

Aden's scribble contributions take six seconds. 

2:30pm: While Tory writes cards at the table, Aden and I make our favorite banana chocolate chip muffins. He helps me mix the batter together, and portion it into a mini muffin tin. The kids request a little bowl of chocolate chips to snack on, as per usual.

3:15pm: Aden's growing increasingly fussy as the day goes on. He asks for a muffin, then cries when it's too hot - "why you make it hot, Mom?" I set the muffins to cool on a metal rack and he reaches up repeatedly to snag one, screaming "too hot!" every single time. Eventually, the muffins are cool enough for him to eat. Tory has one, too.

I put a few of the cooled banana muffins in the refrigerator to eat this week, and pack the remainder in Ziploc bags to freeze for later. My kids love muffins for snacks, and I feel good about giving them this treat since I know it's homemade and semi-healthy.

I'm hungry and the smell of freshly-baked muffins isn't helping. I chug some water and ask Aden to go get the mail with me in the lobby area.

4:00pm: I remember the package of Christmas presents my brother and his girlfriend sent earlier, so I let the kids open their gifts and hope it's enough of a distraction for Mr. Fussypants. Aden opens a remote control Thomas the Train and a book; Tory receives a really nice art set and her first chapter book to read. Immediately, Tory tears into her art set and begins painting a picture at the kitchen table. These never get old, do they? I love to see he detail in Tory's pictures as she grows older. The latest is the addition of clothes in the shape of triangles compared to previous drawings of people with a head and legs only. She mostly draws people which I think is interesting as well. People and hearts. 

I spend a few minutes locating batteries for Aden's train and installing them while he cries at my feet for it to work. I've given up wine for the month of January but if I hadn't, this would be the perfect time to have a glass - gah! 

I get the train working, and he powers it around the living room for a few minutes before getting frustrated that it's not going where he wants it to. "Why don't you lay down and watch a show in my room?" I ask him. The no-nap transition is a hard stage. He wouldn't sleep if I tried to lay him down (or he'd be up all night if he did fall asleep during the afternoon), but he's tired and cranky by 5:00pm every night. Must. Power. Through. I do whatever I can to keep him distracted.

4:30pm: I set Aden up with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in my bedroom, and fold some laundry next to him while he lays in my bed. I run downstairs and put away the kids' clothes and put the new blanket I bought for Aden on his bed.

5:30pm: Andi sends me a text message saying traffic is terrible with the snow and he's in Saint Paul for a work meeting. He decides to visit his grandma in Minneapolis until rush hour is over. I'm bummed he'll be home later tonight, but I'm secretly glad I can eat my dinner now; I'm so hungry! I make the kids eggs and pancakes for dinner while I eat the moroccan carrot salad I made yesterday during my food prep and drink another Vanilla Fresh shake. This salad isn't as flavorful as the one I had for lunch, but it is filling.

6:00pm: Tory and Aden monkey around in the living room while I clean up dinner. Tory's teaching Aden how to do "Spiderman handstands" from her gymnastics class against the wall.

 
6:30pm: I haven't showered yet today since our upstairs bathroom is under construction, so I invite the kids downstairs to take a shower and get ready for bed with me. I've never showered in our basement before, which is funny since we've lived here for 10 months now. It's surprisingly bright for a bathroom with no windows! It's tight quarters as I wash myself and the kids play toys on the floor of the tub. I'm in the middle of washing them up when we hear Andi outside the shower curtain. Apparently, he'd been calling for us to let him in the back door but I didn't hear him because we were downstairs. I had the child-lock activated on the door since Aden has a tendency to escape.

7:00pm: I towel dry myself and the kids, and get everyone's dressed for bed while Andi lays on Tory's bed and tells me about his day. Tory removes a link from the Disney countdown paper chain her Auntie Lindsay made her for Christmas. Lindsay, Tory and I are going to Disney World together next month.

Tory finds a second wind, and gives us a performance in her closet by modeling her robe and doggie purse. She hops and dances around. Aden rolls around on Tory's bed; he's tired.

7:20pm: Time for books and bedtime. Since we're all in Tory's room, the four snuggle up in her bed and read stories together. Aden fusses, saying "No! Mommy read me!" and I assure him I will read to him in his bed as is our usual routine.

Andi reads the Valentine's Day books we brought home from the library today, and I laugh as I notice him skipping words left and right. I never skip words in book I read to the kids, and not because I don't want them to miss anything. I guess I'm too uptight not to read every single word as it written on the pages. Plus, Tory will call you out if you skip words in any of the books she's read before. Tonight, she doesn't know the difference since this is the first time we've read these library books.

7:40pm: Aden and I say good-night to Dad and Tory, and I finish reading him one more book in his bedroom. I tuck him into bed for the night, and he asks me in a pleading voice, "Mom, will you come check me up?" (aka: come back and check on me tonight) I assure him I will, even thought I won't, and I close his door behind me.

Meanwhile, Andi finishes Tory's bedtime routine and says good-night.

7:50pm: Andi is already upstairs by the time I finish with Aden. He's made us each a cup of hot tea, and we carry them to the bedroom. We lay in bed and finish catching up on our day without kid interruptions. Eventually, I read a page from Savor, a daily devotional book I'm reading in 2017, then pull up This One Is Mine on my iPhone Kindle to read until I fall asleep. Andi lays beside me reading a book on his Kindle until we both fall asleep sometime around 9:00pm.

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