One winter's day...

January 14, 2005

Woke up around 6:00 as Damien was coming home from his walk and getting ready to go to Boston. Probably should of got up to have quiet time in my journal and bible reading but slept till

7:00am. Got up and started oatmeal, kissed Damien and bade him a safe drive to Boston. Started packing bag for swimming lesson - lots of snacks, water bottles etc.. Had a shower, got dressed and woke up kids - this rarely happens. Usually kids, Brienne and Laurent specifically, are awake around 7:00. Got a couple kids dressed and then ate breakfast.

8:00 Finishing up breakfast and finished getting everyone dressed. Celine is usually the last to get dressed. Finish packing our bag for swimming and bundle up to head out to swimming lessons.

8:30 Out the door - phew! The dirty dishes are still piled up on the counter but at least the table is mostly cleared - the milk is put away. It's been snowing for an hour already and the car needs to be cleaned off but at least it starts, begrudgingly. By the time we get in the car Laurent's hands are cold from falling in the snow repeatedly while "skating" on the ice, also known as our driveway.

9:00 On time for swimming lessons at the YMCA in downtown Auburn, about 2 minute drive from our house. Celine and Laurent are in a class with 2 other children and 4 instructors for a lesson 30 minutes in length. Celine is cold and cries the whole time - I'm not exaggerating. Laurent however does much better than the first lesson last week, where he cried on & off, and is full of giggles and hearty attempts at flailing his arms and legs.

10:00 We're all dry and warm now and have eaten our snack - bananas, pretzels, while watching the 9:30 Tiny Tots swim lesson - identical to ours. We bundle up again and walk across the street to the post office and then to the Book Burrow - and bookstore and cafe. I'm looking for a calendar but instead buy the kids each a pack of stickers - a real treat. Can't leave without sharing a couple cookies.

11:00 We're out in the snow again, walking back to the car parked at the YMCA lot. I pile the kids in the and buckle them all in. Sweep the accumulating snow off and continue on my quest for a wall calendar. More snacks - I'm trying to eat more in the morning because I've been getting quite fatiqued lately. Problem is when I eat the kids want to eat so we're all eating our 3rd snack of the morning - this does not bode well for lunch.

11:15 I leave the kids in the car as I run into World Over Imports to get a calendar. Bingo, found a beautiful nature calendar. Run back out to the car where each child has to take a turn holding it while we drive home.

11:30 Home sweet home or "sweet home?" as Brienne says whenever we arrive home. Time to start lunch, empty the dishwasher, load the dishwasher, check the mail. The kids quickly disappear upstairs probably because they know I'm emptying the dishwasher. I decide to let them play while I clean up - it's quicker this way.

12:00 Lunch is ready. Pasta with chili tomato sauce. Vegetarian chili from a can (I had a coupon -at least it's organic and I can pronounce all the ingredients) mixed with tomatoes. Surprise, surprise, no one's hungry. I am though so I eat and am very happy to note that I'm not exhausted as I usually am this time of day. I write the kid's names on the side of their bowls in dry erase marker and stick them in the fridge. I start to clean up.

1:00 Naptime. Ah, that blessed quiet time of the day. I nurse & rock Brienne briefly (we're in the weaning process) while Celine and Laurent go potty and get into bed. Brienne doesn't seem tired but I put her down, kiss all the kids and head back downstairs to finish cleaning up.

1:30 I need to practice my guitar for worship tomorrow night. Someone was supposed to come over this afternoon to show me how to string my guitar but he cancelled due to the snowy conditions. That's fine except that my guitar is starting to sound pretty bad. I practice anyway and thoroughly enjoy the time worshipping.

2:10 Kids are all still awake. Brienne and Laurent are chattering away and Celine is asking if they can get up. A couple more minutes I say.

2:15 I'm at my desk doing some e-mail and work on the website. I get the kids up since they're not sleeping. I take the new stickers to occupy them so I can get more stuff done. Celine wants a sticker book. I fashion one out of a plastic sheet protector over paper. Fold, fold, snip, snip, staple, staple. Laurent and Brienne also need sticker books, more stapling, folding, cutting. Brienne can't peel her own stickers, so she sits on my lap while I type, read, and peel about 25 shiny ladybug stickers. She amazes me as she correctly identifies their colors. This is definitely new.

3:00 Laurent and Brienne decide to go for a boat ride in the office/linen closet. This requires that they gather pillows from Laurent's bed and the couch. For the most part Brienne does Laurent's bidding - get this pillow, now get this one. Then things turn nasty. I hear screaming and decide to intervene. It appears Brienne is trying to strangle Laurent or at least inflict injury to his neck. Apparently he took the toy she had because the toy she had was his. Classic problem. Mommy tries to bring some reason to the situation, it actually appears to work. 5 minutes later they are best buddies again. Celine meanwhile has started working on a new scrapbook. She went to a birthday party this past weekend and got a little scrapbook, complete with diecuts, in her goodie basket. The goodie basket was nicer than the gift we gave! So, Celine is at my craft desk, snipping, glueing, crafting and creating.

3:30 Well I did get a bit more accomplished at my desk, time to think about getting supper ready. Head down to the basement to gather potatoes for fries. Start to vacuum the office. Two more jobs and I'll be done my major house cleaning I started last week.

4:00 Potatoes are being scrubbed and cut. Brienne wants to help so she sits on the counter while I cut up the fries. Meanwhile Celine and Laurent are listening to Rapunzel on tape, over and over and over again. Celine in particular loves this retelling of the classic along with the beautifully illustrated book, a Caldecott Medal winner.

4:30 While the potatoes are baking in the oven I finish cleaning the office. Brienne of course helps me dust with a bucket and sponge. We vacuum the bathroom since the vacuum is handy. Dress up time - the angels (Celine and Laurent) are floating around the house, well one is floating the other is brandishing a sword and fighting evil.

5:30 Supper's ready. When Damien is gone to Boston we have an easy kid friendly supper - tonight homemade oven fries - one the kid's favorites. While we eat Laurent tells silly far fetched stories. I admit to zoning out. Celine gets in on the goofiness. When there is a break in the banter Brienne pipes up "my turn talk mom".

6:15 Hanging out on the couch. We're looking through craft books together. I want to teach Celine to crochet this winter so we picked up a beginner's manual and pattern book at the library earlier this week. We look at patterns together amazed at all the items, some useful and not so useful, that you can make. I hope Celine doesn't have too high of expectations. Meanwhile Brienne is playing with play-doh at the table.

7:00 We've mostly finished cleaning up the dining room and kitchen. Time to do a craft together. First I want to check my e-mail - kids patiently wait. We get out an activity book the kids received as a Christmas book and the kids choose what craft they want to make. Interesting how "kids" crafts require a lot of "mommy" attention. For the second time today we are cutting, folding and this time pasting. Laurent (mommy) is making a spooky spider from a pom-pom with wiggly eyes. Celine (mommy) is making a small decorated paper box for holding - who knows what.

8:00 Snack time. Popcorn and apples. Shortly after it's time for PJ's and brushing teeth. Brienne wants to do it herself "me help", and the other two, having gotten over the novelty a long time ago, want me to do it for them. Celine can't find a comfortable pair of PJ's - these ones are too tight, this top is too itchy, so she changes into clean comfy clothes for bed.

8:45 I finish nursing and rocking Brienne, who is sound asleep after missing her afternoon nap. Time to kiss and tuck in my angels. Celine is upset that I called her a dawdler because she doesn't feel like that is "who she really is". I apologize for calling her a name and remind her of who she really is - a child of God with a sensitive, caring and kind heart.

9:00 My time. Kids are remarkably quiet and I sit down to scrapbook. Having a great time when I hear a wretching sound coming from down the hall. Thank goodness it's just the cat throwing up - at least he's in his cage. Poor guy, but this really is not my domain. I call Damien to tell him 'his' cat is throwing up. Like there's anything he can do from Boston. I pat the cat and then continue with my scrapbooking. Damien can clean up the cage tomorrow.

10:00 Time for bed. I leave a little mess on my craft desk. I hate to clean up all those bits of paper, photos, stickers etc. I would go to bed but instead I sit down to write this so I won't forget just what one winter's day was like in 2005.

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