DIML, am edition
the current constants are Legos, chocolate milk, and chaos
This isn’t exactly how a Day In My Life (DIML) post is meant to go—not an hour by hour, or minute by minute, account of the day, but rather a few snippets of what might happen, the things we might talk about, the absurdities that often ensue with three kids currently ages 8, 5, and 4.
And in this edition, we only got as far as 8:55 am. It feels like enough, for now.
“Are there baskets of food at the soccer games?”1 my 4-year-old asked me, with a Lego basket in his hands. He was sitting with his brothers around our Lego table, wanting to participate as they turned the flat, green, Lego tabletop into a soccer pitch, with stadium seating, goals, players, spectators, and a concession stand (of course). He wanted to put our tiny little pieces of Lego food into this Lego basket, and add it to the concession menu, but his brothers weren’t having it. The inaccuracy!
“Sure, there could be baskets of food,” I said to him.
It’s 7:15 am. I’m trying to get out the door for a run, but will accept this brief distraction to allow him a world where there are baskets of food at a soccer game.
“But, is it…in real life? Do they have baskets of food?” he persisted.
“Sure, honey!” Anything you want! It’s a pretend Lego soccer pitch! Put the basket in there and let your imagination run wild!
“Guys! Guys they do have baskets of food!” he ran off, assuring his brothers that his contributions were legit. All the baskets! All the food! And this happens, as he says, in real life, which is part of his vocabulary because he watches a lot of Bluey.
Most days, though…
Around 7 a.m. our morning will go one of two ways: The oldest is awake, sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal and book. The middle is still asleep, probably.
The aforementioned youngest, currently 4 years old, stands at the top of the stairs yelling for either me or his dad, or both, to determine where we’re located at that moment. Is one of us still upstairs in bed? If so, he’s coming in for a snuggle! Or are we awake, and downstairs already? If so, he might be mad about not getting a snuggle, or he might saunter down the stairs ready for his morning glass of chocolate milk2. It could be a little bit of both.
Today he walked downstairs quietly and curled up next to me on the couch. I’m trying to get back into an early morning running routine—something the winter knocked right out of me, because the mornings are way too dark and depressing and icy and horrible. I’s spring now, and it’s light out in the morning and everything is lovely again. That said, today I’m running with a friend after we drop the kids off at school. So I get to enjoy my coffee on the couch while I journal, and I love that for me.
But first we’ll pause for a snuggle. He’s sleepy and quiet, which is rare for him. I ask if he slept well, he says yes, then peels himself off the couch to fetch the glass of milk his dad has ready for him! (He has trained us well!)
It’s 8:20 am and depending on the weather, it will take the middle and oldest (K and 2nd grade respectively) 5-28 minutes to get their socks, shoes, and jackets on. I long for the simple days of August and September, maybe May and June, when all they need are the shoes and the backpack. But every month in between feels like a mystery to wrestle with! Is it raining or snowing? Do they need jackets and if so what kind? Should we pack their shoes and have them wear their rain or snow boots? The oldest is a little more flexible, the middle is ready for a clothing/gear battle at all times! But he doesn’t fight us on much at all, so on a weekly or sometimes daily basis I try to will myself into a state of patience and empathy that this is his one hill—he doesn’t want to wear or carry the extra stuff!!!—and I do not have to fight this battle. It’s raining but he doesn’t want to wear rain boots? Fine. There’s snow on the ground and it’s 8 degrees outside but he’d rather stuff his snow pants into his backpack than wear them to school? Whatever. It’s only a high of 40 but he wants to wear shorts and it’s okay because he’ll also wear soccer socks and pull them up really high? Go for it!
Somewhere along the way they both started getting stressed about being late for school, so even though 9 times out of 10 the delay is on them (it is, sometimes, on me!), they ask “What time is it?!” and I say “8:30” and they promptly run out the door. We leave at 8:35 but sometimes it’s a little before or a little after. We have never, not one single time, arrived at the school after the bell rang. Always before. 100 percent of the time we’re on time3. They’re stressed anyway, and the data I provide to quell this anxiety never helps.
It’s 8:36 am and we’re walking to school. This is one of my favorite parts of the day! Even when it’s cold or rainy or hot and unbearably humid. I love walking them to school. We hold hands every once in a while, they talk about silly things, they’re excited. As we turn the corner they like to clock how many people they see up ahead on the sidewalk, which to them often confirms whether we’re late or actually on time like I say we are. It’s worth noting, again, we are always on time!
Sometimes this walk starts with me apologizing for getting frustrated that they didn’t want to bring all the weather-related things they should be bringing, and sometimes they’re wrestling as we walk down the street and I just don’t relate, but most of the time, it’s just a lovely couple of minutes. They’re excited to be on their way, I’m happy I get to be with them.
By 8:46 am they are on their way inside the building and I try to quell my own anxiety that anything could happen during this school day. (Welcome to parenting in America!). I pull out one ear-pod and listen to a podcast as I walk myself to one of my two favorite coffee shops, or I let myself walk in silence, depending on how chaotic the morning was.
At about 8:55am, I have an iced coffee, an open lap top, a notebook ready for me to write down my daily to-do’s, and we get to work.
What is No One Talks About?
A creative outlet for me—a healthcare provider and entrepreneur by trade, but a writer in my wildest dreams. This is space I come to capture big feelings, little moments (like Lego food baskets!), and memories of things that have shaped me. I’m pretty open about my life experiences; when I have the thought, “No one talks about…”, I immediately want to write about that thing. I’m here to explore.
Thanks for being here, too! 🫶
I started the draft of this post a few weeks ago. I came back to it today and realized I would have totally forgotten about this exchange had I not been inspired to start a DIML-style draft! Sometimes I can’t handle thinking about all the things I FORGET, because there’s not just not enough room for every single memory. Oh I wish there was.
Do NOT come at me about this. We don’t do that here! Thanks!
On time, every time! What kid show is that from?! I can’t remember but I hear it in my head. Oh! Super Wings. god.