It’s been far too long since we’ve done one of these!! I actually spent some time looking back at some of my older DITL posts, and it’s so fun/interesting to see how things change as seasons of life change!
Well, here’s a look at our current season…
4:30am – Alarm goes off. Hit snooze, against my better judgment.
4:39am – Alarm goes off again. Get up quickly, knowing I have about 10 minutes before Tal will be at the house to pick me up to head to class. Throw on workout clothes I set out the night before, brush teeth, throw hair up, head downstairs to grab my water bottle and eat half a Clif Z-Bar just as Tal is pulling into the driveway.
4:55am – Arrive at Anatomie and check in. Looking at the board, today’s workout seems like it’s going to be a doozy…
5:45am – Today’s workout is DEFINITELY a tough one. We all got to “make friends” with a medicine ball for the entire workout, which consisted of an AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of…
Plus that dice game at the end, which consisted of lots of jumping lunges, burpees, and pushups. Wooof. We were WIPED. But I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
5:55am – Arrive back home. Head upstairs to head in the shower and not 10 seconds after I close the shower door, I hear the bathroom door open…Ohh, hello, Alex. He needs to go to the bathroom but it’s too bright for him, so I have the pleasure of showering in the dark for a good couple of minutes while he finishes and Jay brings him back to bed.
6:15am – Continue getting ready for the day, doing makeup, drying hair. All that fun stuff.
6:30am – Alex is back. And he’s all smiles. Despite our best efforts, we haven’t been super successful with him following the OK to Wake! Clock we got a few weeks ago. It’s a work in progress, but most days it’s not worth the fight or tears to send him back (as long as it isn’t stupid early). I finish drying my hair then get Alex dressed.
7:00am – Jay has already gone downstairs to make Alex’s smoothie for breakfast, so he’s back up with me once again while I get dressed, and is having a great time trying out some of my shoes.
7:15am – Hair is curled and I’m good to go for the day. Time to go wake up Lucas!
7:20am – Lucas is already mostly awake (thank goodness, because they’re both such bears when woken out of a good sleep!). We say our goodbyes to Jay, since it’s time for him to head to work. Then I have Lucas pick between two different outfit choices and we head downstairs shortly after.
7:45am – I pour my morning cup of coffee and sip on that while Lucas eats some breakfast and Alex plays with our neighbor, who is going to be getting on the bus with Lucas this morning!
8:00am – The kids all play for a bit while I make sure I’ve got lunches, snacks, and backpacks all ready to go for the boys and myself, and also try to make note of a few doctor’s bills I need to remember to call and follow up on today. Blahhh.
8:25am – The boys brush their teeth, I make their hair presentable, then glance around the living room at the mess. One of these days we’ll have a living room that isn’t overloaded with cars, but today is not that day. And it won’t be for years to come.
8:35am – We’re outside waiting for the bus!
8:45am – The bus arrives, Lucas and Mila are off, and Alex and I hop in the car to make our way over to preschool. I can already sense my anxiety creeping in about drop off.
9:00am – Arrive at preschool. We’ve been talking for days about preschool, and drop off, and how mommy has to leave to go to work but grownups always come back. He’s seemed pretty okay with our talks, so I’m feeling semi-confident about how today’s drop off is going to go.
9:10am – I walk out the door trying my very best to hold back the tears until I get into my car. My poor babe was trying SO hard to keep the tears at bay, and was even forcing a smile for me as he told me he loved me with his little crackled voice. But then when it actually came down to me leaving, the real tears started again. I gave him a kiss and a hug and left him with his teacher, who was doing a great job of trying to keep him preoccupied by talking about the babies he’d played with the last time he was there. I didn’t hear him screaming as I walked away this time, but I think the fact that he was trying so hard to smile for me got me even worse this time.
9:15am – Have a good little cry on my short ride over to work. Check makeup in the mirror, pull it together, and head in to get the day started.
9:55am – I’ve been working through lots of emails and messages, then finally realize my stomach is grumbling like crazy and I’m starving. Rightfully so, since I’ve been up for so long and worked out like, 4 hours ago! I usually try to eat something before leaving work on the mornings I workout, but I just lost track of time and couldn’t squeeze it in. Ahh well.
10:00am – Head to the cafeteria to make myself some breakfast, which today happens to be a couple packets of oatmeal mixed with almond milk, topped with peanut butter. I also make myself an iced coffee with some chocolate almond milk since I didn’t wind up stopping anywhere on my way into the office (pat on the back for me!).
11am – Time for a quick meeting with a coworker of mine, who works over in the UK.
11:50am – I see my phone getting a FaceTime notification, and am so thrilled to see it’s my smiling buddy Alex who wanted to show me the stamper he got at school this morning.
My MIL tells me that his teacher said he had a good day, and he tells me he had fun, so that makes me feel 10x better.
12:30pm – Break for a quick lunch at my desk. I debated on running out quick, but another coworker of mine is out for the day and things are a little busy at the moment, so I opt to stay back. Lunch today is salad with grilled chicken (shocker) and it tastes delicious, but somebody must have heated up some pizza or something in the office and it smells amazing, and it’s all I can think about now.
2:30pm – Been sitting too long – time for a little walk away from the desk and a refill of the water bottle. Once I’m back to my desk, I have a little snack of some cottage cheese + blueberries and a Luna bar from the cafeteria.
3:20pm – Wrap things up at work and it’s time to go! I have to make two quick pit stops today, which is only possible on the days my MIL is with Alex (otherwise, I’d be racing to pick him up from daycare first so I can get home before the school bus gets there). First up is a stop into Ulta to grab two tubes of the Tarte mascara I ordered online when they were on sale on Thursday, followed by a quick trip into Shop Rite for a loaf of bread to have with dinner.
Somehow, these huge chocolate chunk cookies wound up in my hands, and then into my car. I’m not mad about it.
3:40pm – Arrive at home and am happy to see that I still beat the bus! My MIL had just woken Alex up from a nap and he was still a little grumpy/waking up, but then he immediately perked up when I asked him where the donuts came from that were on the counter. He and my MIL had stopped after preschool and brought home some extras, which he then proceeded to dive into.
But since kiddo didn’t really need two whole donuts in one day, I took one for the team and ate about half of it to help out.
3:50pm – (I think?) The bus arrives and Lucas is home! All this kid wants to do when he gets home is stay out and play with his buddies (can’t blame him), so we do a quick handwashing/bathroom/unpack backpack break and then we’re back out the door…only to see that Jay has arrived home early. Woo!
4:15pm – The kids are out playing with some of the neighbors for a bit, but since both Jay and my MIL are home, I take advantage of that and run inside to quickly throw together the soup for tonight’s dinner. On the menu tonight is this Slow Cooker Italian Meatball Soup, but since I ran out of time this morning to prep it, I’m going the stove top route. And since the soup calls for some red wine, I give myself a tiny pour to try out. Because, why not?
I’ll almost always choose white wine over red, and I have zero idea what kind of red this is (Almez, which we received in a Blue Apron wine delivery FOREVER ago), but I’m actually really diggin’ it.
4:45pm – Soup is all set for now, so I let that simmer for a bit while I head back out to see what the crew is up to.
4:50pm – All of the kids are playing, alternating between riding in their cars or riding on their bikes.
And a bunch of the dads are out having a couple of beers, which is pretty much the norm when they all get together.
5:30pm – All of the families start wrapping up playtime outside to get everyone in for dinner, and I let the boys have about 15 minutes of tablet time while I finish the rest of dinner.
6:00pm – Dinner! This meatball soup is SO GOOD, and so easy, so I would 100% recommend adding it your menu if you want something new to try. We paired it with the bread I grabbed, which we also warmed in the oven for a few minutes. Mmmmm.
*The boys both had the meatballs from the soup, along with some plain noodles. I gave both of them a small serving of the soup to try (they aren’t big into soups/combined things)…Lucas liked it and ate it, Alex wanted nothing to do with it.
6:45pm – Dinner is done (it takes us…aka, the kids…forever to eat some nights!) and we all do our part to clean up the kitchen.
7:00pm – My MIL leaves for the day, then Jay and I hang out and play with the boys for a bit.
7:45pm – Bath/shower time for the boys. We try to keep the routine speedy by each of us taking one at the same time, so Jay helps Lucas get showered in our bathroom and I give Alex a bath in theirs.
8:05pm – Tubs are done, time to brush teeth, get on jammies, and read our stories.
It’s my turn to read to Alex tonight, so Alex and I say goodnight to Lucas, who’s reading with Jay. Alex and I read a few stories, and he’s adamant about sleeping with the Hess truck from the picture above. Typically, I say no to any toys that could hurt them if they roll over, but he’s been so bad about getting up multiple times once we put him down lately, that I tell him he can keep it ONLY IF he stays in bed AND waits to get up in the morning until his clock turns green.
IT WORKS. Kiddo, you can have that truck every night.
8:35pm – Say goodnight to Alex, head downstairs and do a quick sweep of the kitchen with whatever else I can pick up. I debate on making Lucas’s lunch for tomorrow, but decide I’ll wing it in the morning.
9:00pm – Snag one of those huge chocolate chunk cookies and plop down on the couch to watch my recorded episode of Bachelor in Paradise. One of my summertime favorites!
Glance around at all of the cars and trucks in the living room and tell myself (again) I should really pick them up. Buuuut, nope. Not tonight.
10:15pm – Realize that I totally missed like the last 30 minutes of the show because I had fallen asleep and woken up no less than 4 times. Note to Self: I really need to go to bed earlier.
10:30pm – Head upstairs, brush teeth, wash face, pass out in bed.
Well that was fun! And long. If you’re still with me, drop a line below to say ‘hey!’ and have a great Monday, friends!
Melissa says
I love reading your day in life posts! It’s always interesting to see the differences between my own day and someone else’s. The slow cooker soup you made sounds and looks great and is ideal for the coming Winter months, for sure, or really, anytime! It looks pretty simple, also, which I like.
Nikki says
I’m tired after reading all that! Haha I don’t know how you do it all. Thanks for sharing, I always enjoy your DITL posts and that soup (and cookies ;) ) sound really good, I’ll hvae to add that to my list of things to try soon.
Cara says
I always love day in the life posts! Also, I feel like our days look fairly similar right now so that was fun to read and see. I always like to see how other mommas fit it all in!
Nicole W says
Love these day in the life posts….I have 2 young boys as well (7 months and 2), so I get the struggle! 😉🍷
Courtney says
Cheers to that, mama!! Those ages definitely came with its challenges!
Jill says
I (also) love these posts. Reading about Alex being brave at drop-off brought tears to my eyes. I know that is so hard. Just curious, do you work part-time? Or was this just a day where you wrapped up early?
Courtney says
Hey Jill! I work 35 hours, which is still considered full-time. I’m just able to flex my hours a bit to fit the kids’ schedule, so some days I start earlier, some days I stay later. The flexibility is invaluable right now!
Jill says
That is awesome! As much as we hear about companies offering flex schedules, I don’t think it’s a widespread reality yet. I’m so impressed (and a little envious) that you have found a job that allows that.
Sara says
These posts are great. I’m a full-time working mom of two girls (almost 2 and 4) and find these relatable. My oldest had the worst time transitioning to preschool last year. So bad that I almost pulled her out and decided to wait a year. Her third week was a real turnaround point for us, the tears stopped and she never had any issues again. Hang in there mama, he will learn to love it for sure. I also have to ask, where is that white blouse from? I love it!
Courtney says
Thanks Sara! It’s actually from Target from probably a year or two ago??
Allison says
I LOVE these posts! I am so impressed with all you do in a day, in addition to working and being a mom to 2 boys! That soup looks delicious, too.
kristin mcgeeney says
hey! love the day in the life posts. love to see how other working mamas do it all. thanks for sharing!
have a great week!
Kat says
I also really appreciate these DITL posts. Most bloggers out there don’t have jobs besides their blogs so I feel like you have a really unique perspective that is much more relatable to me and many of us working moms out there. Keep it up mama! Also love your hair. I’m trying to do my hair more–can you recommend any products/techniques that make it easy/quick? You’re doing an awesome job wrangling everything!
Blair says
Sounds like my kinda day, though skip the workout and go straight to getting everyone out of the house! Our way of condensing bathtime is everyone gets in the tub together, I assembly line wash and rinse hair and everyone washes their own bodies! Assembly line drying, lotion and jams! PHEW I get tired just thinking about it ;)
Alaina says
Still with you! Loved it!😁
Courtney says
Ugh. My little guy is having tough drop offs at preschool and today I definitely cried!! He was sniffling the whole drive telling me “I’m a little bit sad”. Then gave me a teary eyed “I love you” before bursting into tears as I left. I made my husband call to check on him and it makes me feel better knowing that his sadness doesn’t last long. Sending you a big hug for having a similar morning!
Brigid says
That soup looks amazing!
ErikaMC says
Hey! Thanks for sharing your day. As a mom (3.5 year old and 8 year old) that works it’s nice to read about someone else’s day and how they do it all too. I work 7:00-3:30 (up at 4-4:30 to get a workout in) and every night feels like a rush to fit everything that needs to be done on top of just spending time with the family. Quick supper ideas are appreciated!
Shelby says
I love love love these posts! I have missed your regular posts!
Steph says
Love these posts! You are inspiring me to try squeezing in a morning workout every once in a while. Also the whole Alex daycare drop off story broke my heart! My baby is only 10 months old so I can only imagine how hard it must be when they’re a little older! Can’t wait to make that soup too. We are all just embracing the chaos together :)
lindsey says
I love day in the life posts. I’m also in the same boat with my almost 3 year old not taking to the OK to wake clock. He also immediately wants to play outside when we get home which makes getting dinner ready hard. Nice to see how other working moms get it all done.
Julissa says
I made it to the end and still really enjoy reading your blog! Have been following you since the beginning (and now on Insta too!) and love seeing your family grow. The whole time reading this post I was thinking DANG! What a long day! Especially waking up in the 4am hour.
Haley says
Thanks for sharing! I still really enjoy reading your blog. Great recipes, clothing picks, and everyday life stuff!
Shashaqueefa says
Love love love reading these Day in the Life posts! I know it’s tedious but please do it more often! You are supermom girl! My eyes teared up reading about you and Alex crying, wow it warms my heart. Hope you and the fam have a great week!
Holly says
I really enjoyed your post. I’m a long time reader but not a commenter :) I also a working mama as a nurse, with one on the way. I often struggle with feeling overwhelmed and guilt, my schedule allows days off but I’m
often exhausted from the marathon workdays. When she naps, I nap! Meal planning is a must.I try to just take it one day at a time. Thank you for an honest look into modern motherhood.
Holly says
PS My daughter just switched classes too and she has been crying at drop off too. It breaks my heart.
Courtney says
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Holly! And fingers crossed that our drop offs start to go a little more smoothly ASAP! <3
Julie F says
As a preschool teacher, just keep at it. He will be fine. It’s usually just the goodbye at the beginning for the kids (and the parents) once you are gone they are usually fine. It sometimes takes a few weeks to get into the routine. Don’t give up!
Your hair looks great
And where did you get your kitchen flooring? We are gutting our home. I don’t have a floor right now.
Courtney says
Hey Julie! The kitchen flooring actually was what we picked out when we built the house, so I’m honestly not too sure on the details…I’m sorry!!
Fiona MacDonald says
I love reading day in the life posts! I wish my kid slept until 7! What a dream!!! We never got the Gro Clock to work, Sully would just change it whenever he felt like waking up! Now with school it’s a huge work in progress since they don’t nap and hes overtired so if he makes it to 6am I’m happy!!!
Your workout sounds so tough but nice to have a buddy to go with!
Emily says
Aw my second son cries every day at drop off and has for a year :( I cry on my way to work too. It’s hard. Hugs.
Courtney says
Ughh, for a year!? It’s so, SO tough. Hugs to you, TOO!! <3
Diane says
I like these day in the life posts too! Kudos to you for getting up sooooo early to get to fitness class. Do you still work out at home some days and if so which sites or instructors are you enjoying these days? If you haven’t already check out Sydney Cummings on you tube. She is really fantastic.
Courtney says
Thanks, Diane! I usually do fitness classes 2x/week maybe 3 if I go on the weekend) and then I aim to do two additional strength training workouts at home, which are usually the FitnessBlender workouts! I’ll have to check out Sydney Cummings, too. Thanks for the tip!
Pam says
What a long and busy day. I’ve got two about the same age so I’m right there with you. Great job getting in a workout and bringing your lunch. Those are always wins to me!
Diane says
I really think you will enjoy her. She puts out a new video on you tube every day. She is young and full of energy.