A Day in Pictures. An unedited (literally, because I don't have the time to edit the pics!) look at our lives behind closed doors. A snapshot of a nothing-special-going-on, "typical" day in the Sinyard household.
Ta-Da!
I've seen this done on several friends' blogs, and decided it sounded cool enough to try. I only wish I'd done one sooner, as I'm already forgetting what those early days/weeks/months were like. (Which is probably a good thing, if Audrey ever wants a sibling. Those days were great, but they weren't easy!)
Hopefully I'll be able to do something like this a few times a year, because I know it'll be something I treasure down the road. However, given the difficulty I had with this one, this may be a unique, once-in-a-lifetime read. So soak it up, just in case. Enjoy!
6:45am - David gets up and gets ready for work. Sorry, no picture there.
7:15am - I get up and work out. If I'm being good and if we're not going running that night, that is. Insert sweaty goodbye kiss sometime around 7:30am. Sorry I missed the photo op there, too.
7:55am - Write out the day's to-do list.
8:00am - Greet this precious girl. Then I change her diaper as I review the day's agenda with her. I figure if she's anything like me, she wants to know what's in store!
8:10am - Breakfast! Today's menu was cottage cheese, applesauce, and a waffle.
Of course, I couldn't miss the opportunity to share one of the many tiny frustrations of the day, too. I spilled her drink while trying to multi-task and empty the dishwasher. I was also on the phone with the airline trying to get her added to my ticket for an upcoming flight. What is it they say about being less productive the more you try to take on at once? Yeah.
8:45am - I clean her up, do another diaper change, and then it's laundry time. Here she is helping me unload the dryer. She owns sock duty.
9:00am - Shower time for Mommy. This is my view from inside the shower every day. I get a baby doll slammed up against the glass or little fingers wriggling under the door. As you can see, I encourage safe exploration by pulling out all the really dangerous stuff from under the cabinets and placing it on the counter. She runs around and plays while I sing, talk, and try to keep an eye on her without getting shampoo in it. Then, I get out and dry my hair (which usually involves drying baby doll's hair too) and brush my teeth (which usually means brushing baby doll's "teeth" with AJ's toy toothbrush.)
9:30am - I get her dressed, then it's playtime! We do puzzles...
Flashcards...
Sing songs (this was the "stomp your foot" verse of "If You're Happy and You Know It")...
And sometimes pitch fits.
10:15am - Another diaper change, then it's time to read a few books and settle down.
10:30am - 12:00pm - Naptime for Audrey. It passes quickly as I finish getting ready...
Do some ironing...
Pay bills...
Pull a few weeds...
Make a grocery shopping list, and eat lunch. (Yummy, right? It's actually one of their better ones.)
Just as I'm finishing, she wakes up. Such a happy, well-rested girl!
12:15pm - I feed Audrey a lunch of grilled cheese, grapes, and carrots. What you can't see too well here are the tear stains because we had a battle of the wills about eating more grapes before more grilled cheese. That's why we usually do meals in courses.
12:55pm - I change her diaper and we load up the car for a busy afternoon of errands. We begin with a trip to the dry cleaners...
Then the bank...
Then a quick drop off at Goodwill...
Then the grocery store (she's very selective about her deli meat)...
And finally, the library...
I usually don't try to squeeze that much into one day, but it's just how this week worked out. We often do 2-3 errands that include only some of the above. Other frequent stops include the post office, Wolf Camera, Target, or the drug store. Still, we were able to finish in an hour and a half and get back home.
2:30pm - More playtime!
Have to stop and hug Mommy (and drool on her a little, too.) Love it!
3:00pm - Time to change her diaper again and then check out some of our new library books.
3:15pm - 4:30pm - Audrey's afternoon nap. Again, it goes quickly as I fix myself a snack...
Check email/facebook...
Clean up some of her toys to put away for storage...
Return a phone call, and start dinner prep.
Sometimes, though, I do Bible Study or blog or - gasp - just watch TV.
4:30pm - I am beckoned upstairs by this less-than-happy face.
A little snack of pineapple and milk makes it all better. Followed by a diaper change, of course.
5:00pm - She plays (read: pulls stuff out of every possible cabinet and basket and drops it everywhere) while I do some straightening up. I'm pretty sure we're working against each other here.
5:30pm - We go outside for some fresh air and bubble blowing.
6:00pm - Time to watch for Daddy! She stations herself here or by the door to the garage and asks "Da-da?" a million times with her hands turned up, wondering where he is. Then, when she hears the garage door open, she proclaims "Da-da!" and waits impatiently for her big hug.
Choosing just the right song to dance to with Daddy to while I finish dinner.
6:30pm - Dinner time! Tonight's menu is salad, pork chops, applesauce, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and rolls. Don't be too impressed - the potatoes and creamed corn were premade and the rolls were from a can. Healthy, I know.
7:15pm - Diaper change, then a little Wheel of Fortune (her first full sentence is going to be "I'd like to buy a vowel, Pat.") and some playtime.
Then, it's time to pick up toys...
And put dirty clothes in the hamper...
8:00pm - Bath time!
Drying off...
Brushing teeth (she loves this!)
Putting on pajamas...
8:30pm - Time for story, devotion, and prayers.
8:45pm - A little rocking and singing before I lay her down.
David usually cleans up the kitchen, while I do more laundry.
9:15pm - Time to clock out. We veg, talk, or watch TV for a while. Ahhh. If a low-calorie snack is involved, it's even better.
Sometime between 10:30pm and 11:00pm - One last check on our sleeping angel, then it's lights out for us.
So there you have it. Usually there are fewer errands, 2-3 nights a week we run at the park, and occasionally there are friends over or dinners out. At least once or twice a week, we try to have a play date and/or one of her grandmothers comes over and gives me a break. Most days, I try to get in the Word or do Bible Study homework. There can certainly be less productivity (or more), more tears (or less), and shorter naps (or longer ones.) But, you get the idea. It's busy, it's fun, and it's our reality. And while sometimes the days are long and difficult, I wouldn't dare think of trading it for a corner office downtown. My current view is much better, don't you agree?
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